


A is A: Remnants

by Flyboy254



Series: A Is A [32]
Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga, Pumpkin Scissors, Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, Conspiracy, Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-31
Updated: 2019-08-22
Packaged: 2020-07-27 16:27:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20049052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Flyboy254/pseuds/Flyboy254
Summary: As Amestris and Xing discuss a new future together, Grumman requests MVTF assistance. While Alice adjusts to more facts of life she has to accept, Al is forced to accept that defeating Father was only the prelude to a new and heart-stopping story.





	1. Chapter 1

**Remnants**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

* * *

Havoc leaned back in the chair at the SGC conference table, tapping his fingers impatiently feeling his cravings grow. “Grumman wants some help, he thinks there’s an MVTF-level problem that needs some handling.”

Gen. Hammond nodded. “Did he specify what the problem was?”

“He figured it’d be safer to share that once the team was in Amestris,” Havoc said. “He doesn’t want to given anyone working under the idea that Sen. Kinsey might be right anything to use to send back.”

“Understood,” Gen. Hammond said. “However the only team available at the present is MV-9; all others are presently concerned with their own internal matters.”

Havoc looked to Breda and Falman. “Well they are _a_ MV team. What about their big guy though, last I heard he was having some problems sir.”

Gen. Hammond nodded. “Cpl. Oland is no longer able to activate the device inside his skull, and while he remains a part of Section III he as of yet has seen no operation since his lantern device was destroyed.”

“Well it shouldn’t be too bad sir,” Breda said. “After what happened when SG-1 showed up things have actually been pretty quiet for a change.”

“Glad to hear it,” Gen. Hammond said. “I’ll have word sent to MV-9 that we have a mission. For now, I recommend you rest at the base.”

“Thanks sir,” Havoc said. “Anyone needs me, I’ll be outside smoking.” Half-walking, half-fleeing the confines of the base, Havoc found his way to the nearest elevator and waited impatiently to get to the surface; a trip not helped by the occasional fellow passenger. Finally up at the entrance to the mountain, he sped for a small section beside the road to the mountain occupied by three airmen and a scientist and quickly lit up. Taking a deep breath of the tobacco, he smiled as he turned to stare up at the sky. It wasn’t very different, same blue and white clouds he knew from back home. “_Don’t see what all the fuss is about,_” he thought. “_It’s exactly the same._”

As Havoc pondered the sky, Al was below ground speaking with Maj. Carter, drawing a transmutation circle as he went. “Each part of the circle corresponds with how you want the energy to flow. The contours, the pieces, each eventual line of the final product of transmutation.”

“The important part is the flow,” May said, Carter watching as Al made a few final touches on the circle. “In alkahestry, we call this the Dragon’s Pulse.”

Carter nodded. “Right, the flow of energy, we talked about this before.”

Al nodded. “Remember the three key components: Comprehension, Deconstruction, Reconstruction.” Slamming his hands down on the circle, Al smiled as the metal desk shifted into a solid cube. “There, see?”

Carter shook her head. “No, I don’t. Even understanding how this is supposed to work I can’t see where it comes from. There’s a how missing, and honestly it’s starting to worry me.”

“Well here,” Al said, backing away from a second circle. “You know that the desk is steel, you know that you need to reconfigure the components of the desk to make a sphere. You can do it Maj. Carter, just let the energy flow.”

Carter nodded, taking a breath as she stepped over the transmutation circle. “Alright; comprehension, deconstruction, reconstruction.” She saw it in her head; know the properties of steel, break the bonds holding it in the current shape, and rebuilding it into a small sphere. Shutting her eyes, she pressed her hands down on the desk.

Nothing.

Groaning, Carter pulled away shaking her head. “Face it, there’s something mystic about alchemy.”

Al sighed, clapping his hands and putting the desk back to normal. “Then that makes things even worse. If Father created alchemy to be specifically mystical, then we have no way to assist the MVTF without putting them in our world to train them.”

“And that takes almost a year,” Carter said. “We literally can’t spare any SG teams to do that, not for that kind of time.”

May faceplanted onto the desk. “Then we’re back where we started.”

“Well maybe you can find some way to work with naquadah and trinium,” Carter said. “We already have the numbers and properties roughly made up, with it being superconductive it could even assist with weaning GDI’s universe off Tiberium.”

“That’d be a start of something at least,” Al said, slumping into a chair next to May. “I don’t think we’ll have much time to do any tests though.”

“It’s the best we can do though,” Carter said. “We’ll need to set some time aside when you come back, we don’t want to risk any cross-contamination that we can help.”

Al picked his head up. “You mean like when Lt. Malvin lost her gun?”

Carter nodded. “The last thing we need is letting anyone get their hands on tech they don’t fully understand the implications of. If we’re lucky that lost weapon is lost forever.”

May looked worried. “And if it isn’t?”

Carter looked a little nervous as she answered, “We get to see what happens when a world of magic gains access to automatic weapons.”

* * *

Oreldo looked over the apartment, with the paint on the side of the door chipped and faded as the noises of the people still inside echoed. "You're sure this is where the big guy lives now?"

Martis held up the sheet of paper. "It's the same address and apartment number. But this place looks like a dumb, why would he live here?"

"Well knowing the corporal it's either he thinks he's helping us by not spending too much, or..." Oreldo trailed off as he knocked.

The door opened, and a smiling Randel Oland opened up ducked low enough to show his smile. "Good morning sirs, c'mong in."

As Oreldo did, he let himself have a self-satisfied smile. The apartment was sparsely furnished; a second-hand sofa, a tattered rug on the floor, a battered icebox and a soot-covered oven all atop a worn and stained wood floor. Scattered about the apartment were tins of food for at least a dozen cats going in and out of the open window over the small cracked porcelain sink in the kitchen. "_Yep, there it is._"

"It looks like you're doing pretty well corporal," Martis said, taking a seat at a small, simple wood table in a small, simple wooden chair. "Do you need anything else?"

"No, but honestly I do miss being able to sleep under the bridge." Randel gave one of the cats a pet as he picked up the empty food bowl and took it to the sink. "At night the stars are beautiful to sleep under."

"Well we'll be seeing a different set of stars for the next few weeks," Oreldo said, poking at a particularly scarred cat that was glaring him down. "MV-2 put out a call for help, the lieutenant is already getting us what we need."

Randel nodded, but cringed as he turned around from washing out the bowl. "Sir, I wouldn't do that to him."

"Why, what's he gonna YEEEOW!" The cat jumped onto Oreldo's forearm, digging in claws and hissing as Oreldo tried to get it off.

* * *

MV-9 sat across from MV-3 as Havoc said what he knew. “So after the coup we had a lot of records to go over. Some of them were burned but there were enough to piece a few things together. It looks like there’s a few research labs that were involved in some of the projects that the old government had a hand in running. Problem is, when Bradely’s government disappeared so did the money and support. Grumman doesn’t want this left to anyone, so that’s why we’re handling it.”

Alice nodded, prim and proper as she spoke to a superior rank. “We’re honored that you think us capable of aiding you in this mission sir. Section III will do whatever we can to assist in rooting out this problem.”

Havoc nodded. “I hope so, asking for MV help was Al’s idea. Can’t have him looking bad when people keep asking questions.”

“We still have time before you all gate tomorrow,” Gen. Hammond said. “I recommend you all get some rest and get ready for the mission. Dismissed.”

The teams rose and split apart, Alice moving to intercept Havoc before he bolted for the smoke pit. “Capt. Havoc, I was hoping to speak to you about the mission.”

Havoc shrugged as he kept walking, forcing Alice to keep pace. “Okay, not sure what you’ll expect to get out of me though.”

Alice didn’t speak about how unusual it felt to talk to an officer in such a way. “Well sir, I was hoping to ask what you think we should expect. With Cpl. Oland unable to utilize his lantern anymore you know we’re not capable of fighting any enemies we might encounter.”

“Well between the two kids we should be fine,” Havoc said, practically strolling through the corridors as he fished out his cigarettes. “Honestly, when it comes to alchemists? Sit back and cover them.”

Alice didn’t quite process what she’d just heard. “I don’t understand, aren’t we supposed to be the ones making sure that whatever we come across won’t be able to create any more problems?”

“Yeah, we are.” Havoc dodged two airmen going through the corridor, pressing the button on the elevator. “Al and May are the only two people here who can make that happen though.”

Alice was crestfallen as the elevator doors opened. “So we’re just going to stay back and do nothing sir?”

Havoc grinned as he stepped on to the elevator. “Best kind of mission as far as I’m concerned.” Havoc held his laughter back until the doors closed; Alice’s face was priceless.

* * *

Alice tugged uncomfortably at the blue uniform of Amestris that she had to wear. “I understand why we have to, but…”

“You’re wearing it,” Breda said, either ignoring or not noticing the look she was giving him for his unbuttoned blouse. “There’s no empire anywhere on the continent that has your uniforms, you’d be too obvious.”

“I know,” Alice said, still pulling at the aiguillette on her right shoulder. “It’s just that I feel like I’m betraying my duty as an officer wearing this.” The Amestrians all turned to stare at her for a second before she quickly realized that not talking was a wonderful idea.

“Hey, Oreldo,” Falman said, leaning over. “Are you sure she’ll be okay coming with us? She doesn’t act like she’s taking this very well.”

“Oh, she’ll be fine,” Oreldo said with a grin. “We just need to give her some injustice to fight and she’ll be back to normal.” Falman didn’t take much comfort in the statement as the gate opened.

Moving back through the gate into the lowest levels of Central HQ, the two teams went up to the fuhrer’s office to see an older man in a fine suit leading two younger men through the hall. “Heads up,” Havoc half-whispered. “Looks like the prime minister decided to make an appearance.”

“Ah, Capt. Jean Havoc,” the man said, giving a polite smile as he slowed to greet the teams. “One of Gen. Mustang’s men correct? Prime Minister Kennedy, pleasure to meet you.”

“Sir,” Havoc said, shaking Kennedy’s hand. “Pleasure to have you here in headquarters.”

Kennedy kept the smile. “Polite my rear, I know Grumman wants to see me like he wants to see his upper lip bare.” The politician chuckled at the joke. “Still, after what’s happened with Bradley the Amestrian people want accountability. If that requires me to speak to Fuhrer Grumman more often, so be it. He’s a more pleasant conversationalist than Hatch any day.” Smiling to the rest of the group (And taking a brief moment to make sure he was really seeing Roland), he walked on. “Good day everyone.”

Alice blinked as she went on. “Who was that?”

“Prime Minister Kennedy, leader of the People’s Coalition Party,” Falman answered. “Currently chief legislator of Amestris.” Alice blinked. “Is your parliament structured differently?”

Martis facepalmed. “Oh no. She’s thinking of the Republic of Frost.”

Breda froze. “You mean that country you guys said you were at war with for nearly a decade?”

“I thought the fuhrer was your leader,” Alice shouted. “Now I find out you have a parliament? How can you trust anything your government does?”

“We never said we do ma'am," Fuery said. “We literally just had to kill the last one because he was part of a conspiracy to kill the entire country.”

“I know, but at least there wasn’t a parliament when he was in power.” Alice noticed none of the Amestrians said anything. “What? No, don’t tell me-”

“Hang on,” Havoc said, turning on Alice. “You don’t have a problem that there’s a Congress that tells SG-1 what to do.”

“That’s because the senators are only that small group,” Alice said, Randel reaching out nervously like he was getting ready to stop her from throwing a punch. “Twenty-seven people aren’t that dangerous.” Everyone stared at her some more. “What!”

“That was only part of the Senate,” Havoc said, shaking his head as he walked toward Grumman’s office. “There’s one hundred of them and God knows how many in Congress-”

Falman spoke, “Four-hundred forty-three.”

“So it’s safe to say not all of them know what we’re doing.” Havoc knocked on the door as Randel gently guided Alice along. “_Like any of us know what we’re doing._”

“Come in.” Opening the door, Havoc saw Grumman waiting behind his desk with his usual smile. “Capt. Havoc, good to see you.”

“Sir.” Waiting for the team to file in, he and Al took the two seats in front of Bradley’s desk. “You’ve got some more for us about his mission sir?”

“Quite a bit more,” Grumman said, holding up a sheaf of papers. “Found among others underneath the headquarters. Ms. Sheska is running herself ragged organizing it all.”

“Meaning she’s reading everything she can find sir?” Al asked. Grumman gave a coy grin as he handed the papers to the young alchemist. “Facility Twenty-Seven?”

“Apparently there were alchemic research labs distributed all across the nation, not just in the major cities…Is she alright?”

Everyone turned to see Alice still staring numbly ahead at nothing. “She’s fine sir,” Havoc said, tapping his cigarette into a waiting ashtray. “So there were multiple facilities?”

“We’re working under the assumption that they were numbered at random,” Grumman said. “That way if anyone found evidence they’d send time trying to find as many facilities as possible, wasting time as a coverup was instituted. We place this one in the northeast, roughly thirty miles inside the country. We scoured the military for anyone who was serving there, but at this point we believe that the majority of the personnel involved have gone into hiding.”

“So while the military police hunt them down, we have to figure out what else was being done.” Breda sighed. “How do we know they didn’t destroy anything inside?”

“We don’t,” Grumman said, giving a shrug. “Still, it would be helpful to know what we can gleam from the structure.”

“Of course sir,” Al said, smiling as he set down the papers. “When do you need us to leave by?”

“Two days should be fine,” Grumman said. “Capt. Hawkeye will be in the city for a meeting to update me on Ishval, it would be a good time to keep Mustang up to date on things. You and Capt. Havoc can tell her what you’ve both found.”

May perked up. “If it’s alright with you sir, I’d like to send the same word to Ling?” Grumman nodded, and May gave a quick bow as she hurried on her way.

“As for us,” Martis said, speaking up in the place of Alice. “We’d like to ask for access to any of your archives sir? Anything you think that we can be allowed to look over?”

“I think the good warrant officer here can escort you,” Grumman said, nodding to Fuery. “You’ll have to clear what you have copied for your own research, but I don’t see any problems with making it happen.”

“Thank you sir,” Martis said, Oreldo quietly helping Alice out the door as Randel followed. “We’ll be ready when MV-2 is.”

Grumman smiled as MV-9 walked out, before he turned serious as he turned to Havoc again. “Lt. Malvin seems rather shocked. What was it?”

“Well she doesn’t seem to like the idea that we’ve got a parliament sir,” Breda said. “My guess is her nation is an absolute monarchy, and since she’s a noble she’s got it bred in that parliaments are the enemy.”

Grumman shook his head. “Poor girl. Captain, do you see it as a potential problem?”

Havoc grinned. “Sir, what she lacks in sense she makes up for in drive. At least according to the last report we read when she worked with MV-1.”

Grumman nodded. “Still, I don’t want any unnecessary risks.” As Grumman looked up his hooded eyes were visible behind his normally bright glasses. “We don’t know what experiments Father’s henchmen were running as they approached the Promised Day. If what we did find was any indication, what waits for us will be at the least more horrific than anything we’ve seen thus far.” He glanced at Al. “With certain exceptions.”

Al nodded. “MV-9 has seen things too sir. I won’t pretend that they’ve seen what we’re used to, but I know they have the strength to still stand along with us when things get bad.”

“Let’s hope you’re right,” Grumman said. “If something goes wrong, that facility is a good ten miles from the nearest town.”

* * *

Oreldo grinned happily as he walked through Central, smiling at every woman he passed. “Fuery, you’ve been holding out on me.”

“Ignore him,” Martis said as the five walked through a street market. “Is there anything we need to remember?”

“Just that we need to be careful,” Fuery said. “Whatever we’re going into won’t be easy to wrap our heads around at first. We need to let Al and May read over what they find before anything else happens.”

“Well the place is abandoned right?” Oreldo shrugged. “What do we need to worry about then?”

Fuery groaned. “You had to say it.” Oreldo blinked. “Look, the kind of things we’ve learned about whatever is left over? The people that had a hand in it didn’t really put a lot of planning into safety around it. Even if the building is empty, we have no idea what might be waiting for us.”

“Well Cpl. Oland should be enough to scare anyone that’s gonna try to threaten us away to scurry back into their holes,” Oreldo said, smiling as he patted Randel on the arm. “Right lieutenant?” Alice didn’t say anything, she was busy glaring about the streets and market at everything. Small children running about with each other; housewives buying food for their dinner; couples courting and old men hobbling along as the cartmen barked out what they were selling and the deals they could offer. “Lieutenant, you’re not backing me up here.”

“A parliament,” Alice mumbled. “How can we trust Grumman if he works alongside a parliament?”

Fuery looked over. “Lieutenant, I think I’m missing something. Why is it so bad that we have a parliament?”

“Because a parliament only causes trouble,” Alice said, keeping her voice low. “If a nation’s leadership is elected by the people, then the people can be manipulated into electing improper leaders. That’s what happened to the Republic of Frost; they convinced the people to elect a parliament run by thugs and warmongers ready to overrun the entire Nebulo Union.”

Fuery shook his head. “Well that won’t happen here lieutenant. The only people manipulating Amestris are gone now, we stopped them a year ago and they certainly aren’t about to come back.”

“How can you be sure,” Alice said. “I was taught that people are easy to manipulate, it’s how the Republic keeps power. You tell them that you’ll feed them and punish the people who hurt them, it doesn’t matter if you’re telling the truth or not.”

“But that’s not Amestris ma’am,” Fuery said. “We can’t tell the people everything about why the coup happened, but they know that the people who were trying to take their lives away are gone. Ever since they’ve been happy with how Fuhrer Grumman is running the military, and even with Kennedy asking questions we’re sure he won’t get close to the real truth.”

“_It’s easy to say that now,_” Alice thought, watching a pair of kids run past into the market place as their mothers chatted behind them. “_Conspiracies only last as long as you have everyone willing to keep the secret._”

* * *

“And that’s all of it so far,” May said into the phone. “What have the councilors had to say?”

“_Oh the same boring lines,_” Emperor Ling said, bored as he recounted what he’d been told. “_We need more information, these Amestrians will only bring sorrow, on and on and on._” He sighed. “_Makes me miss being there with the Elrics._”

“Trust me, you aren’t missing much.” May flipped through her own notes as she kept reading. “How’s Xiao-Mei been?”

“_Oh, Ran Fan keeps her eye on her,_” Ling said, his voice suddenly growing dark. “_She’s the perfect weight for panda stew._”

“If you harm so much as a hair on her head Xing will need a new emperor!”

Ling laughed on the other end of the phone. “_I appreciate that you’re still willing to speak to me that way,_” he said. “_Now that I’ve offered friendship to the Chang Clan, they’re all so nice and polite to me. You’re the only one who still speaks as if I’m not the emperor._”

May smiled. “Someone has to remind you that you’re only human.”

“_All the better, this kind of power really can go to your head._” Yawning, May heard the emperor lean back in his seat. “_Well, I’d better go now. Official business calls; several Amestrian companies are asking permission for the number of workers they need to bring over for the railroad._”

May’s heart sighed. “No more caravans or starving to death.”

“_I know, it’s so glorious. The lesser clans will have first opportunities to send their people over._”

May grinned. “While the Yao and Chang clans remain in Xing?”

“_One could see it that way. Take care, May Chang._”

“Best regards, honored Emperor Ling Yao.” Hanging up the phone, May turned to the ambassador. “What have the Amestrians mentioned about the railroad to you?”

“That it would be an economic and political bridge between the two nations,” the ambassador said, his moustache nearly trailing the floor. “They believe the best route would be from our western cities, link them as a central hub for fuel and any further passengers, then have the tracks meet at Youswell.”

“That’s perfect,” May said clapping her hands. “The coal miners there will become wealthy from the need of their mines for the railroads.”

“There is one issue m’lady,” the elderly ambassador said. “Gen. Mustang believes that the line should split to the south, through Ishval. He believes it will enable the region to regain economic prosperity. He believed that you would agree.”

“He did?” May stopped, thinking back to what Scar had said about Ishval’s treatment by Amestris. “Well, I can suggest it to the emperor when I return. Draft a statement and investigate what good such a branch line would do then.” The ambassador bowed, and May quickly set to gathering up her supplies for the trip.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

* * *

Martis read over the report on the final battles in Ishval and sighed. “This is a league above what we’re used to Oreldo, no question.” He got up from the desk in their hotel room, a smaller place just between the city center and the northern neighborhoods of Central.

Oreldo nodded, laying back on his bed as he read up on the military raid on the Devil’s Nest in the city of Dublith. “Agreed, but only because of difference in who has what. I mean they were combining people and animals, how does that even make sense?”

“But the technologies are roughly the same,” Martis said. “I don’t see any mention of using alchemy to manufacture or maintain anything in this universe. It’s like they only use it for science experiments and war.”

“Yeah, I noticed that too.” Oreldo kicked himself up off the bed. “‘Be thou for the people’, sure, but why does it only stick to research and not practical application? Do they charge for their alchemy? Barter?”

“There’s a lot that doesn’t add up about alchemy,” Martis said, falling down on his bed. “And the lieutenant won’t help matters.”

“No kidding,” Oreldo groaned. “What do you think she’ll do? I’m betting on insulting the senators the next time there’s a hearing.”

Martis took off his glasses and settled onto the pillow. “Come on, she’s not that bad.” He paused. “Most of the time.”

“Well she’d better remember to watch it tomorrow.” Oreldo grunted as he hit the light next to his bed and stared out the window at the Amestrian night. “Funny, it never does look that different from home does it?”

Martis laughed. “Since when did you become philosophical?”

Oreldo shrugged as he watched a trio of women strolling along the street in dresses he’d never get a chance to see in the Empire. “Well a man gets to thinking, that’s all.”

* * *

Al was already up before the trolley cars started running, but didn’t mind the walk. Central had become his home for now, and all the better for it. It had the top alchemists (for the most part), had his friends, and today held a special place. As he walked through the streets, he tried to think about what he would say to them when he arrived. It had been over a year, in fact he didn’t know how they would react to him not being a suit of armor anymore. Would it take time for them to know who he was?

[Walking](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ramZ4P57OaA) up the stairs of the apartments, he tried to keep himself calm but couldn’t help himself from thinking of what might happen. He knew there wouldn’t be anger, but he was afraid of forcing them to relive the most painful memory of their lives. Still, it wasn’t something he was being forced to do. To him, it was paying tribute to a friend. With the last few steps to the door, he took a breath and knocked.

A cherubic face poked through the chained door, looking up curiously at Al. “Who’re you?”

“Hi Elicia,” Al said, smiling down at the curious green eyes staring up at him. “You probably don’t recognize me, I’m Alphonse Elric.”

The little girl seemed to freeze, then shook her head. “No you’re not, Alphonse was a big suit of armor!”

Al laughed nervously. “_If only you knew how right you are._”

A motherly voice came from inside the room. “Elicia, I told you not to answer the door like that.” A woman came to the door, her blonde hair cut short with kind green eyes looking up from the girl. “Yes?”

“Mrs. Hughes, it’s me, Alphonse Elric.”

Gracia’s eyes lit up. “Alphonse! My goodness, you finally took off that suit of armor!” Quickly unlatching the door, she let Alphonse in with a warm smile. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen you, come in.”

“I’m sorry I’m here so early,” Al said, taking in the apartment. Pictures lined the walls of the family; Gracia smiling as her bespectacled scruffy husband hugged his daughter close, Maes Hughes hoisting his daughter on his shoulders, a picture of mother and daughter playing together in the park. “I have a lot of work to take care of at headquarters so I won’t have much time the rest of the day.”

“It’s fine, just being able to see you without that armor on is wonderful. You've grown into quite the young man, I'm so happy for you.” Walking to the kitchen, Gracia motioned for Al to take a seat at the table off to the side. “Have a seat, I should have enough for one extra plate.”

“Thank you,” Al said, sitting across from Elicia. The girl clambered onto the chair, staring across at Al with innocent eyes. “How have you been Elicia?”

The girl tilted her head, Gracia laughing as she walked over with two plates of fresh scrambled eggs and sausage that got Al’s mouth watering with the glass of milk and toast set beside it. “She just doesn’t recognize you Alphonse. I’m sure if your brother were here she’d be no different from what you were both here last time.” Her smile got sadder, but she still looked at Al with those same kind eyes as the first day they’d met. “So, where is Edward?”

“Back home in Resembool,” Al said, reaching for some butter for the toast. “He’s stepped away from alchemy, right now he just helps around town with people’s work on the farms.”

“And your friend, Winry?”

“She still works on automail,” Al said, taking a bite of the eggs. “She-” He paused, face lighting up as he started to really tuck into breakfast. “This is delicious!”

Gracia laughed. “It’s just eggs and sausage Al, I make it almost every morning.”

Al nodded, washing it down with a long swig of milk. “I guess I’ve just been so busy that having a good breakfast is something I need to remember how good it can be.”

Elicia looked up from her plate. “You’re a weird man.”

Gracia quickly turned at her daughter. “Elicia, that is very rude!”

Al laughed it off. “It’s fine. Given how my life’s been, I guess I am a little weird.”

Gracia smiled. “I’m just worried. Elicia starts school soon, I don’t want her getting in too much trouble.”

“She’ll be fine Mrs. Hughes,” Al said, smiling as he cut up his sausages. “Ed was a troublemaker at school too, and look at him now.”

Gracia laughed. “Hopefully she won’t have the same temper.”

Al smiled as he ate on. A quiet breakfast with a kind smile and curious eyes staring up at him. A treasure greater than any gold he could ever dream of transmuting.

* * *

Havoc grinned as he saw a familiar face walking up the steps to HQ. “So, how’s it down on the border?”

Capt. Riza Hawkeye smiled as she came up to the top of the stairs. “Better now. It’s good to see you again Havoc. Are your legs still alright?”

“Better than ever,” Havoc said, knocking on his right thigh. “So, getting to like Ishval for a change?”

Hawkeye nodded as the two moved for the main HQ building. “It’s so much better now Havoc. So many of the Ishvalans have returned, and with Gen. Mustang working with Maj. Miles and Scar…Well, that’s not his name anymore is it? With the three of them working together the cities and towns are coming back. The Ishvalans are even looking into a rail line going from Aerugo and Xing through their lands.”

“Man, it’s gonna be boring around here if we aren’t careful.” Havoc grinned as he watched a small squad change out for guard duty at the front of the building. “I guess the chief doesn’t mind the quiet life then?”

Hawkeye glared ahead. “If he does, I don’t. I thought his slacking on paperwork was bad as a colonel. As a general it’s nearly impossible to get him to do anything.”

“Well can’t say we should be surprised then,” Havoc said. “What about you?”

Hawkey smiled again as they walked into the main building. “It’s nice to not have to see Ishval through a scope. Is Alphonse already here?”

“Came in a few before you did,” Havoc said. “Let’s go.”

Up in the fuhrer’s office, Hawkeye stood at rest as she reported on Ishval. “Presently sir, the Ishvalan Provisional Authority has decided that the primary course of action for the region should be to build up the their economic infrastructure as a mid-point between Aerugo and Xing. There is talk of making the region autonomous within Amestris, but the Authority hasn’t said one way or the other on official action yet.”

“Well, considering that the main route to Amestris will go through Youswell, I think that we’ll safely be able to control all Xingese imports across the deserts.”

Grumman smiled. “Interesting. So have they expressed any possible requests for aid then?”

“None yet sir,” Hawkeye said. “If they do make a formal request, we will forward the request up to Eastern Headquarters for the necessary funds.”

“Excellent,” Grumman said, smiling and clapping his hands. “Now, on to matters relating to the MVTF. Capt. Havoc?”

Havoc snapped to attention, then parade rest. “Sir, current status of the MVTF is still formative. If I may state my personal opinion the teams involved still have areas they have to work on in regards to what they will encounter in the multiverse.”

Grumman nodded. “Such as?”

“MV-7 is the current issue sir,” Havoc said. “One of theirs has recently decided to leave the MVTF as an active member, and it is believed she’s currently suffering from battle fatigue. MV-8 has also suffered setbacks regarding their technology and its ability to function outside of their dimension, but so far they’ve only had a single mission and further information is required.”

“And the most capable teams?”

“SG-1, MV-4, and MV-5 in terms of actual combat capabilities sir,” Havoc said. “MV-6 as a close runner up, though the report on their actions noted a difficulty in prolonged or large-scale combat.”

“Well I suppose those lacrima have solved a fair few problems with logistics at any rate,” Grumman said. “Mr. Elric, what do you make of the other groups and their abilities and technologies?”

“In terms of raw ability sir, MV-1, MV-3, and MV-7 all have tremendous power at their disposal,” Al said, rising from his seat. “The issue is replication and comprehension. No one in MV-1 has any knowledge of where their magic comes from, MV-3 allegedly learned their abilities through natural observation, and MV-7 still doesn’t have any concrete information on the source of magic despite making strides in observational data.”

“So where do we fall?”

Al’s face screwed up as he tried to form an answer. “We’re still not quite sure sir. We have all of the data that the MV teams should be able to replicate, but it just isn’t taking. Maj. Carter mentioned that she doesn’t understand the how, unless we can get them a master I’m afraid there’s nothing we can do.”

“A shame,” Grumman said, leaning back in his seat. “Well, thankfully the designs we received from SG-1 have had an effect. We’re already testing the new radios we’ve designed in the Eastern test range, and we’re working on preliminary aircraft designs as well.” Grumman let himself grin at the thought. “Gen. Armstrong is already asking for the new weapons.” Al and Havoc shuddered, the thought of Gen. Olivier Armstrong getting her hands on death from above was horrifying. “For now though, we have more important things to focus on. Capt. Hawkeye, has there been any evidence of further conspiracy involvement in Ishval?”

“None that we can find sir,” Hawkeye answered. “If there was, our current theory is that it was destroyed during the course of the war.”

“Well maybe it’s for the best in that case,” Grumman said, shaking his head. “The last thing Ishval needs is any more trouble. Thank you, Capt. Hawkeye.” Rising out of his chair and stretching out his arms, Grumman went for the door as one of his black-suited bodyguards fell in behind. “Now, I have some business to take care of at our logistics department. Capt. Havoc, Mr. Elric, good luck with your mission. Capt. Hawkeye, good to see you again.” With one last grin, Grumman was out the door, flanked by two massive bodyguards in black suits.

“Same Grumman,” Havoc said, grinning. “So, what’s left for you while you’re here?”

“I need to speak with the court martial office on possible prosecution of any soldier and state alchemist responsible for abuses during the war.” Hawkeye sighed. “Even the general admitted how difficult it would probably be to bring any cases to trial at this point.”

Al looked up at her. “Wait, wouldn’t that mean Gen. Mustang could be charged as well?”

“I don’t know Alphonse,” Hawkeye said, looking worried. “Even if he isn’t, he’ll still be associated with it, and that’s not something Ishval needs in the person trying to help them to rebuild.”

Havoc clapped Al on the back. “Hey, it’ll be alright kid. The boss knew who to take down and who not to, and with Scar backing him up he won’t be implicated if it comes to it.”

“I hope you’re right,” Al said, following Havoc to the elevators. “I don’t want to worry about losing a friend that way.”

Hawkeye smiled as the elevator arrived at their floor. “The general knows what he did and didn’t do Alphonse,” she said as she stepped into the elevator. “He can’t help rebuild from a jail cell.”

* * *

Martis flipped through the reports as Alice paced the table her men sat at. “Border disputes with Creta and Aerugo, a near-war with Drachma caused by a rogue Drachman general who it turns out was actually working with the conspiracy ruling Amestris, and the Ishvalan war. Under Father this whole nation was just in one long series of wars lieutenant.”

Alice shook her head. “Unbelievable. And the parliament claims it has the power here?”

“Well it looks like in reality the parliament was just setup as a measure to keep the population from rebelling, at least according to these reports.” Martis held up a separate sheaf of papers. “Looking over the history with a new eye, Grumman’s people believe that it was created to keep the peasant revolts from interrupting the efforts by Father to create the transmutation circle.”

Alice huffed, the kind that a person makes when they’re proven right and want to make sure anyone around them knows it. “Of course, as expected of a parliament. Just another means by which the people can be manipulated.”

Oreldo rolled his eyes, sure that Alice couldn’t see him as he did. “What else does it say about the history?”

“For the most part, the core of the nation has always been peaceful and a center of industry and study of the sciences. Alchemy seems to pervade every aspect of life here though, only it’s mostly in the form of research institutes and small universities. It’s apparently a strictly master-student based system, even as long as it’s existed in Amestris.”

“They probably never had a reason to branch out with it,” Oreldo said. “They’ve got pretty much everything else right? Alchemists must seem like a boring bunch of self-obsessed scientists trying to play god.” Noticing Randel’s expression start to darken, Oreldo let out an awkward laugh. “So, what about where we’re going?”

Martis flipped to another sheaf. “Zumcam, near the northeastern border on the edge of the desert.” Martis showed a picture of a small town, the tallest structure a clock tower standing proud despite clearly being weathered. “The major trade in the area is cattle, mostly for beef and milk.”

“So they put a secret research lab out in the sticks?” Oreldo rolled his eyes. “Doesn’t that mean they had to send all their equipment and people far out of the way?”

“Logistical concerns must’ve been second to the need for secrecy,” Martis noted. “We can probably use this to aid in our own investigations lieutenant.”

Alice nodded, but then her stomach growled loud enough that everyone could hear. Randel smiled. “Maybe it’s time for lunch lieutenant?”

After calling Falman to help them get around, the group left for the market again. Only as they approached, they noticed a small crowd gathered around a man standing above them all with a bullhorn. “Oh no,” Falman groaned. “They’re out again today.”

Randel looked over. “Who sir?”

“They call themselves the Legion of Bradley,” Falman said, scowling as they got closer. “They popped up a few months ago. After the coup they started claiming that there were too many unanswered questions that went unanswered after Grumman took power.”

Alice listened as the man with the bullhorn went on indistinctly at a distance. “What questions are those?”

Falman shook his head. “Sorry Malvin, I can’t talk about that in public. At least, not near them.”

As they approached, Alice started to understand what was being shouted. “King Bradley was focused on making Amestris a safe and secure nation! He was a leader willing to step into battle himself to stamp out any rebellion and criminal action! Now look at Amestris! Bandits in the West raiding carriages and trains! Slums riven with addicts and decay! Where are our leaders as parliament, arguing endlessly about where money should go? It should go to us, the people who need it most! All of the officers allegedly involved in the coup are imprisoned, yet we are denied any information on what they did! Why are there no answers?” Some of the crowd started to murmur in agreement, and Alice had to stop herself from speaking up. It was obvious from the conversation yesterday that her thoughts on parliaments weren’t shared with MV-2.

Getting lunch at a small stall, Alice settled down with a small meal of a sandwich, some meat and cheese, and sliced lettuce. As the Legion of Bradley kept shouting in the distance, Alice looked up at Falman. “How many people were involved in the coup?”

“Roughly two hundred, if you count the forces that came in from Briggs,” Falman said, dipping in sandwich in a brown dip before he ate it. “All of them knew the truth of things, between the men Gen. Mustang rallied and the soldiers from Briggs assisting in the fighting. Why do you ask?”

“It might be a rough idea sir,” Alice said, staring as Falman kept dipping his sandwich. “Do you know if any of them spoke about the coup?”

“None,” Falman said. “If there was any leak of information, we’d have immediately traced it to the source and found out who and why.” The gray-haired officer spared a look back at the crowd. “You think there’s something happening that we aren’t seeing?”

“It’s rather curious,” Alice said. “A movement saying that there are unanswered questions about the coup springs up, but they have no specifics on who was really behind it? Perhaps there’s a need to make sure that nothing leaked from anyone who knew what would happen if they did reveal the details.”

Falman nodded. “I’ll make a mention to Havoc when I see him next.”

Alice blinked. “Why do you refer to him like that?”

Now it was Falmans turn to be confused. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t always address him by his rank and title, isn’t he your superior?”

Falman smiled. “Well yeah, but we’ve known each other for years. Just because he’s gotten a higher rank doesn’t make him any different from the scrappy punk I met before.”

Alice gaped. “You…You’re talking about a superior officer in such a way? In public?!”

“She must be just out of training.” A new female voice drew Alice’s attention behind her, and as Falman’s face lit up Alice turned to see a woman with short black hair and blue eyes in an open trenchcoat and slacks walk up ahead of a man with dirty blonde hair and dark green eyes in more casual wear for Amestris. “Been a long time Falman.”

“Lt. Ross,” Falman said, laughing as he got up and shook her head. “It’s been nearly two years.” Alice’s confusion deepened when she noticed Falman did call her by a rank.

“Not a lieutenant, not anymore,” Ross said. “My commission was rescinded when I was declared dead, and when Grumman made the offer for a new one I refused. I just couldn’t go back after what I saw.” Smiling, she tapped the man on his shoulder with her fist. “Thankfully I’ve still got my old partner here with me for my new job.”

The man laughed as he shook Randel’s hand. “When we get work. Nice to meet you, I’m Denny Brosh.”

“Maria Ross,” she said, shaking Alice’s hand. “So, you’re still pretty green it looks like. How’d you wind up with Falman’s squad? All they do is get into trouble.”

“Lt. Malvin is working on a classified matter,” Falman said. “It’s from the top, so nothing worth talking about in mixed company.”

“Can’t imagine why,” Ross said, shooting a glare over to the crowd at the edge of the market. “Still, at least you’re keeping busy.”

“And what about you,” Falman said, settling back into his seat. “What are you doing now that you’re out?”

“Well I figured that since the court martial office trained me to handle cases, maybe I could take some on for myself.” Ross smiled as she pulled out a small business card. “The military police don’t look into things that aren’t considered serious crimes, and there’s a lot of suspicious people out there who want answers for what their spouses and business partners are doing.”

Falman smiled as he read the card aloud. “Maria Ross: Private Detective. Reliable Answers, Reliable Service.” Chuckling as he handed the card back, Falman quickly went back to his sandwich. “How’s work then?”

“It’d be better if we actually had any to talk about,” Brosh groaned. “Sometimes we’re lucky and hook a businessman whose wife knew he was cheating, but mostly the clients are small time and don’t pay much.”

“That’s why I leave the business side of things to you Denny,” Ross said, clapping Brosh on the back. Brosh sighed. “Besides, we’re already on our latest. That guy with the big mouth over there? Turns out his wife thinks he’s having some fun on the side.”

Falman’s eyes…narrowed? Alice couldn’t quite tell. “Really now.”

“No, not really,” Brosh said, sounding defeated. “We’re pretty sure the only places he’s going at night are to these meetings of the other Legion of Bradley members. His wife might like the answer, but we’re not sure if we can pay our rent next month with what we’re gonna get for this job.”

“Well if you need help, all you need to do is ask. After all, we did get you killed.” Ross smiled and shook Alice’s hand again. “Be careful kid, his squad always gets into the really crazy stuff. Why do you think we left the military?” With a cheery smile, the two walked on with a wave.

Oreldo had a small grin as he watched Ross walk away. “Hey, Falman, you don’t happen to remember the number on that card do you?” Martis sighed as the group went back to their food and Alice remained staring ahead trying to process this strange new world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! As always, remember that if you like the story and want to mention what you like, or think the story could be better and want to mention your thoughts on how, feel free to let me know!


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

* * *

Kitted out, the team was driven from the Central Armory to an elevator beneath headquarters, Alice suppressing some jealousy that Al and May were allowed to wear their usual clothes when her team had to wear uniforms. “It turns out that the tunnels dug by Sloth were the perfect size for a new idea,” Havoc said, stepping off into what Alice realized was a train station staffed by soldiers in Amestrian uniforms. “Why not use their work for what we need?”

“A nationwide rail network,” Al said, smiling as he walked to a small map showing the tunnels crisscrossing underneath the country. “We can go anywhere with this, no need to risk the train being hijacked or stopping for emergencies.”

“And in our case, a straight shot to where we need to go. I’ve already got our train, let’s board and get going.”

Alice wondered at the station, watching as soldiers hurried about while small train cars groaned and shuddered while being loaded up. “All of this was already in place?”

“Well we had to make a few changes,” Breda said. “Widening the tunnels, making major junctions, but for the most part? Yeah, it’s amazing what you can do with what’s left behind.”

“This is great,” Al said, smiling as he watched a group of soldiers get off and move for the elevator. “This could completely change how Amestris reacts to disasters, think about how many people could be saved.”

“Well let’s focus on getting us moving for now,” Havoc said as he came back to the group and led them to a small car waiting for them. It was a miniaturized train engine, Alice noticing that there was no smokestack or water boiler and only one man behind the controls as she boarded the car behind it. “It’ll be a day and a half, but that’s fast enough for what we need. Okay buddy, we’re set here.” The engineer nodded and pulled a lever.

Section III all jumped at the crackle of electricity above their heads, but May laughed as the train lurched forward. “Electric cables, that’s why you don’t need to worry about ventilation in the tunnels!”

Havoc grinned as he lit a fresh cig. “Welcome to the future, courtesy of SG-1.”

Alice gaped. Another dimension using SG-1’s aid to advance, while her own carried on as it had before. “_Just be patient_,” she thought to herself. “_Once we figure out a way to know for sure who we can trust, we can start bringing in SG-1’s technologies ourselves. We just need to know when._”

Havoc grinned as he took out a magazine that was clearly from SG-1’s universe, “MAXIM” emblazoned on the cover. Falman took out a box of cheese pieces as Breda pulled out a folding board from his pack. Fuery retrieved a small manual on one of SG-1’s radio designs as Al and Mei spoke about alkahestry. “Would you like something to read Lt. Malvin?” Al smiled as he held up a small paperback. “When you travel as much as I do, it helps to have a few books.”

“Oh, thank you,” Alice said, smiling as she took the book. “Is this from your dimension?”

“No, I decided to get that from SG-1,” Al said. “Col. O’Neill said it’s from the same author whose books matched up with Team Rainbow’s history, it might be helpful to learn about their dimension like they’re learning about Fairy Tail’s.”

Smiling, Alice looked at the cover. “‘The Hunt For Red October’,” she said aloud. “This might be helpful Al, thank you.” She grinned. “At least I have something respectable to read.” Randel stared at her, and she realized to her horror she’d said that out loud as well.

Havoc grinned as he flipped through the magazine. “Jab all you want lieutenant, this is sold on the same news stands as newspapers and news journals in SG-1’s world so there’s nothing wrong with it.”

Alice turned her nose up. “Respectfully sir, just because SG-1’s world has a different set of morals doesn’t mean we need to bring them with us to our homes.”

“Really?” Havoc grinned as he read. “That’s an interesting thought, because if their technologies are gonna come to us, so will their culture.”

Alice blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Think about it,” Havoc said, holding up the magazine. “The reporters and writers who made this issue all talked to each other over the phones they have and typed this all up on computers. They flew on airplanes to research their stories and didn’t have censors from the government telling them what they could and couldn’t write because they’re main market are subscribers who get this mailed to them across the country. What do you think will happen once that gets to your nation?”

Alice shook her head, not noticing Oreldo and Martis already cringing away. “Well the Empire would set up a central bureau to ensure that only necessary information and wholesome media would be available to the public of course.”

Havoc nodded, not looking up as he flipped through the magazine. “And what would count as necessary?”

Alice thought for a moment. “Current events, news, information on the major events of their nation-”

“The current state of Afghanistan is one of uncomfortable transition,” Havoc read. “Since the defeat of the Taliban government the current feelings in the country are primarily that of a people once more put under the heel of a military invasion. That despite all claims to the contrary the United States is coming in the same footsteps as so many nations before.” Smiling, Havoc flipped the magazine around, the image of the scantily-clad brunette on the front turning into an expose on the current state of the United States in Afghanistan.

Alice shook her head. “They’re reporting on the war? But, but that image on the front!”

“There’s a saying in my hometown,” Al said. “You never know what the sheep looks like until it’s shorn.”

Alice slumped down in her seat, eyes empty. Randel fidgeted, unsure of what to really do as the train car settled in for the journey. “Lieutenant? Are you alright?”

Alice sighed. “No, I don’t think I am corporal. I’m trying to keep an open mind about things; Col. O’Neill’s eccentricities are what I expect out of a man of his age and rank. The civilian teams as well, I can understand that they aren’t soldiers and shouldn’t be expected to act like them. Then I look at how MV-4 acted in New York, and now Capt. Havoc and his men? Is this how soldiers are supposed to act? Am I wrong for commanding the way I do?”

“Of course not ma’am!” Randel reacted like he saw a baby kitten about to fall off a ledge, reaching out trying to anticipate the fall. “You’ve seen us through some tough times, and none of us doubts you know what’s best for us! You’re just learning is all, you never had the same kinds of problems to face that the other MV teams have.”

Alice smiled a little as she looked out the small window at the dull gray tunnel speeding past. “Maybe you’re right corporal. Still, it’d be nice if I didn’t feel so out of depth myself.” Holding the book up, she gazed at it for a second. It was a white background, a red hammer and sickle crossed behind some kind of drawing. “I suppose I should try to learn something then.”

“That’s it ma’am,” Randel said, smiling happily as Alice cracked the book. “You’ll get the hang of it. You’ve the best officer I’ve met, you won’t let us down.”

Havoc smiled as he went back to reading about Afghanistan.

* * *

Grumman rolled his eyes. “Come now gentlemen, haven’t we been over this topic before?”

Kennedy nodded. “Yes sir, we have but-”

“You’re still dodging our questions!” The angry fireplug of a man barked, his not-quite-as-glorious-as-Grumman’s mustache bristling in contrast to his bald head. MP Hatch, leader of the Amestrian National Unity Front, had never been one to quietly accept what he was told when it didn’t agree with what he wanted. That was as on display now as it had been back when Grumman had been first called to parliament two years ago. “You claimed that this funding was for a new railroad project that you’ve promised wouldn’t be used against the Amestrian people, yet we see no evidence of rails being laid anywhere in the country. Further sir, some of my constituents are reporting that their utility costs have risen sharply in the past two months! If this is connected, then the question is how and why.”

“The new railroad has to remain secret gentlemen,” Grumman said, looking bored as he spoke to Hatch. “After the bombing of King Bradley’s train in the East I don’t want to risk another such incident occurring.”

“After you’ve taken power of course,” Kennedy said, toeing that fine line between observation and accusation. “A shame the military can only learn such lessons after incidents like this occur.”

“Yes, quite the shame,” Grumman said, stroking his mustache. “I’ve spoke with the logistics heads though, I have their report on the status of this new railroad for both of you.”

As soon as Grumman pulled up the papers Hatch snatched them away. “You expect this to be an answer,” Hatch grumbled. “You expect a small stack of documents that came from your own people to be enough to satisfy us in the course of our own duties to this country?”

“Well I was hoping that, yes.” Grumman didn’t bother hiding his grin. “Still, once the final reports are made up I will ensure that those who need to have this information receive it. It wouldn’t do for the military to hide anything from Parliament.”

“Certainly not,” Kennedy mused, taking the slightly crumpled information from Hatch. “The people expect this to not happen again after all, and are calling on us to make sure as such. Given that it would be a good amount of pain if we had to make a separate branch of government to observe the military, we believe that for now our own questionings and decisions will be enough of course.”

“Of course,” Grumman said, rising as the two politicians stood. “You both know where to find me when you wish to talk again.” He kept his smile until the two were out the door, then groaned as he collapsed back into his seat. “Bradley, if you want your job back now’s the time to take it.”

The phone started ringing, and sitting up Grumman rubbed at his eyes as he put the receiver to his ear. “Yes?”

“_Sir, Lt. Col. Armstrong for you._”

“Send him through. Alex, what do you have for me today?”

“_Good morning sir,_” the deep baritone of Lt. Col. Alex Louis Armstrong said from the other end. “_I have something interesting here, something that may break open our search for any escaped members of the conspiracy._”

Grumman leaned forward. “Well then go ahead colonel, don’t wait on my account.”

“_We came on a list of names, regional garrison commanders. Several of them have also appeared in files related to experiments carried out during Ishval related to the stone._”

“And how many are still with us?”

“_We’ve already confirmed three dead sir. Four more are unaccounted for, but we do have the location of one. Brig. Gen. Ambrosini, commander of the garrison near Bumecu. He’s retired now, living on a ranch near Wellesley._”

“Then perhaps the good general should receive a visit,” Grumman said, stroking his mustache. “Take the usual trains, Kennedy and Hatch are asking questions about our new construction efforts.”

“_Of course sir,_” Armstrong said. “_The ability to pass through a crowd unnoticed has been passed down the Armstrong line for generations!_” Grumman shook his head as he heard the shirt on Armstrong’s back fly off and the other soldiers in his office cry out at yet another impromptu strip.

* * *

Alice barely noticed the time on the train edge on, she was too busy reading about Jack Ryan and the _Red October_. She was on the very start of the chapter _The Twelfth Day_, the character Jones crying out a Crazy Ivan when she realized the train was slowing down. Looking up, she saw Oreldo trying to figure out how to use two pawns, a rook, and a queen to beat Breda with three-quarters of the board covered in his pieces as Falman watched. Martis was balled up on his seat asleep, and turning back she saw Al and May comparing new circles. Fuery had made dozens of notes on the radio manual, and Havoc? Well Havoc was leaning back in his seat with the magazine covering his face. Turning back, Alice saw Randel sleeping sitting up. “What’s happening?”

“We’re here,” Breda said, moving his bishop to take out one of Oreldo’s last two pawns and cutting off any possible escape for the king. “Alright, let’s get moving.”

Gathering up their bags, the team felt the train shudder as light streamed in from the station they arrived under. Alice’s head hurt a bit from the sudden burst of light, but soon she was looking out on another military station. Leaving the train and boarding the nearest elevator, Alice took a breath. “_Another trip into a new nation. At least this time I’ll be able to understand things a little easier. Amestris is almost like the Empire, I’m sure I’ll be able to fit right in._”

“Capt. Havoc?” A blue and keen-eyed, short-haired blonde officer stood at the entrance of the elevator as the team came back to ground level. “2nd Lt. Whitworth, I’ll be your point of contact and escort while you’re in Zumcam.”

Havoc nodded, shaking hands with the woman. “Nice to meet you. That’s Lt. Breda, Lt. Falman, W.O. Fuery, Lt. Malvin, W.O.s Oreldo and Martis, and that’s Cpl. Oland.” To Alice’s surprise, Whitworth didn’t spare a second glance at Randel. “And these here are our two team alchemists, May Chang and-”

“Alphonse Elric,” Whitworth said, shaking Al’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you. I’ve followed your brother’s career when I got my own license, his work is impressive.”

Al perked up. “You’re an alchemist?”

“State certified last year,” Whitworth said, leading the team through the basement of the garrison. “Of course, my family expected the best so I gave it to them. This will only be a temporary posting, at least until my commanders see what I’m truly capable of.”

“Excellent,” Havoc said, rolling his eyes as Breda barely contained a laugh. “So, where’re we going first?”

“The orders from Central were to put you up in the hotel first. Tomorrow we’ll discuss the facility and the incidents we’ve recorded around it. The day after we’ll drive you all out and assist however we can.” Alice felt a little more at ease hearing Whitworth speak. Here was how an officer was supposed to act; proper, focused, with determination to advance. “If you’ll need anything, my commanders have ordered me to assist you in any way.”

“Well I do have a question then,” Havoc said. “How is it you’re a state alchemist, but you’re only a second lieutenant?”

“I specifically requested it sir,” Whitworth said, holding her head high. “An officer should prove their worth before advancing in rank. I refused to take state certification unless I was made a second lieutenant.” Alice looked up happily at Havoc but to her surprise, and then as she thought about it her lack-of-surprise, he was staring at Whitworth like he was trying to decide if she was crazy or just stupid.

Riding up another elevator, the team stepped into a small lobby where a pair of soldiers stood guard as a third worked behind a desk. Passing the green flag of Amestris, Alice smiled again as the warm late-morning sun graced her. They were just inside the center of the town, the garrison headquarters looking out on a small plaza. There were a few small carts set up, a small statue in the center of the town proclaiming the heroics of a long-past war. The clock tower from the picture was just across the stones of the plaza, ticking ever closer to eleven. Civilians walked through, laughing and chatting with each other as they went. “_A is A_,” Alice thought happily as she followed Whitworth. “_Just like home._”

Oreldo, grin plastered on his face, moved forward. “So, things seem pretty quiet around here huh? What do you-”

Whitworth glared at Oreldo. “I don’t remember speaking to you, W.O. Oreldo, nor do I recall granting you permission to speak so freely to a higher rank.” Oreldo yelped and quickly fell back next to Martis. Alice let herself have a smile at Oreldo’s humbling, and to her welcome surprise Havoc was smiling too. “I hope you don’t mind Capt. Havoc.”

“Not at all lieutenant,” Havoc said, shooting a grin at Oreldo. “Sometimes you’ve gotta remind people of the rules after all.”

* * *

Sheska let out a sound like “Meep” as she was crushed in between the window and Alex Louis Armstrong in his finest suit. “S-s-sir, why are you bringing me along again?”

“Because you are without a doubt one of the best memories to ever be in the employ of the military. Your ability to instantly recall any piece of information you read makes you perfect for the interview we’re about to conduct. I will speak to Gen. Ambrosini, you will take down everything said. You will then read the notes, I will destroy them, leaving us with the only copy secured in our possession until we return to Central and you can write everything down in a safe location.”

Sheska started to try and wriggle away. “I’m not feeling very safe in this location sir!”

As Sheska vainly tried to extricate herself, Armstrong shut his eyes and thought about what would happen. “_He’ll probably believe that we’re coming to arrest him, or like Dr. Marcoh thought, kill him. From what I read in the files Ambrosini was a skilled marksman, but he’s also grown rather old. If he does have a weapon, better to transmute it before he can do anything with it. Once his home is secured we’ll be able to proceed with finding out what he knows._”

* * *

Alice was finishing up settling in for the night, laying her uniform out neatly and setting aside a small glass if she felt thirsty later. Counting her lacrima they matched what she knew she’d brought, and with a quick check of the room she settled into the bed. Tomorrow they would be moving on with the mission, and finally Alice would be able to show once again that MV-9 was a valuable piece of the MVTF. Sparing one last look out into the streets of Zumcam, Alice took a moment to wriggle under her covers. It was an old habit she’d kept since childhood, but lately whenever she had any chance to sleep in a good bed she’d do it. Sighing as she set her head down on the pillow, she shut the lights and settled into sleep.

Farther up the hall, Havoc was lighting up his last of the night as he sat down on the edge of the bed to finish reading the Afghanistan article for the third time. His mind ran through everything he’d learned so far; the fact that Afghanistan was a constant target for invasions, the apparent ferocity of tribal loyalties that continued to carry on as time moved forward, the massive heroin fields that supplied the Taliban with money to carry on their fight. Apparently the United States had even used the country as a proxy, draining a nation known as the “Soviet Union” of men and money when they tried to invade. If there had been any goodwill from America’s assistance in fighting the Soviets, it was probably being rapidly spent trying to stop the Taliban and their al-Qaeda friends. Shaking his head, Havoc lay back on the bed without bother to get under the covers as his thoughts replayed old missions once more.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Lt. Whitworth tapped on a map of the city and surrounding countryside as the team sat patiently in the garrison’s briefing room. “The facility was built roughly thirty years ago, the garrison was only alerted to the construction and informed that it was simply being put into place to assist in alchemic research that could be used against Drachma.”

“But isolated enough to the desert that security could be kept up easily,” Breda said. “What do you have on anyone who worked there?”

“Nothing sir,” Whitworth said as she tapped the upper right corner of the map. “The chain of command was entirely separate from our own, we only learned it was abandoned when the reports started to come in to the MPs.” Taking a small red marker, Whitworth started to make Xs across the farms in the area. “The ranchers in the region started to claim their cattle were going missing, or being found dead with wounds they’ve never seen before. At first we believed it was rustling gone wrong, or that some of the smaller ranches were fighting with each other by taking out the cattle that were separated from the herds.” Whitworth paused after making six Xs in a small area far from the town and at least a half-kilometer from the facility. Then she started marking them out spreading from the facility. “In the past fourteen months we’ve seen an upswing in the problem.”

Falman cringed. “That’s a little more than an upswing, Whitworth.”

“The attacks were only discovered the next morning, and we found that the cattle that was killed were probably just the victims of predators; meat and organs devoured, any sensitive areas caved out, maggots and scavengers eating at the carcass. The only suspicious factor is their proximity to the facility.” Whitworth smiled. “But that is why you’re here.”

Alice froze, but Havoc rolled with the statement. “You know it kid.” Whitworth twitched at being called kid but said nothing. “Think we can talk with the ranchers who’ve reported losing cattle?”

“I’ll have them brought to the garrison immediately sir.”

“Woah now, I mean we go to them,” Havoc said, waving the idea off as quickly as it was suggested. “We want them to talk to us, not be terrified of us.”

“Of course sir,” Whitworth said. It was obvious she was mentally reprimanding herself. “I have the names and addresses all here ready for you to look over.”

Havoc nodded, looking back to Alice. “Malvin, why don’t you go with Whitworth and I to meet one of the farmers. Falman, you take Oreldo; Fuery go with Martis; Breda, take Oland and the kids. Everyone good with that?” Everyone nodded. “Good, now let’s get some lunch. Whitworth, where’s the best place?”

“I usually eat in the garrison commissary sir,” she said. “I don’t have many expenses, so I prefer to not spend needlessly.”

Alice smiled, but saw Havoc shaking his head. “Not when Central is footing our travel expenses. C’mon, aren’t there any good restaurants or pubs around here?”

Whitworth seemed to pause as she turned away to think for a second. “Well I do hear the men constantly talking about going out to the Milton Hotel for drinks on the weekends.”

“There we go,” Havoc said, standing up from the desk. “Let’s go kids.” Whitworth twitched again.

Stepping out on the plaza again, Whitworth led them through the center of the town. Alice noticed her stop and look around in confusion once or twice, but it wasn’t a problem. Whitworth was like her, a focused and devoted officer who knew what her duties were. It didn’t matter that the walk was slightly longer than Alice expected. “Here we are, the Milton.”

The hotel was about what Alice expected, a small place that might’ve been large to anyone from the countryside. A small café was set up on the sidewalk, a respectably dressed waiter finishing up for the brunch customers. “I personally haven’t eaten here myself,” Whitworth said as they got closer. “Personally I’d rather not frequent the same bars my subordinates do.”

Havoc nodded. “Yeah, that’s a philosophy that’ll work wonders.”

Taking a set of tables and putting in their orders (Whitworth had opted for a bowl of bread and some water), Randel smiled as he watched the people walk about on their daily ways. He watched as the occasional car or cart rolled past, waving at passersby as MPs went about on patrol.

“Captain,” Whitworth said, leaning close to Havoc. “Is it appropriate for Cpl. Oland to be sitting with us? He’s an enlisted, not even a non-commissioned officer. He should be separate from the officers and civilians.” Alice blinked, but had to admit to herself that Whitworth had a point-

“Oland,” Havoc said, smiling as he lit a cigarette. “You got a problem sitting with officers?”

Oland blinked as he looked back to Havoc. “Uh, no sir. I don’t think I do.” He looked down at Alice. “Do I lieutenant?”

Alice started waving away the idea. “Of course not corporal! You’re a part of our team, you shouldn’t feel uncomfortable at all.”

“There,” Havoc said, taking a puff. “Got that Whitworth? Cpl. Oland doesn’t feel bothered at all.” He let a long exhale of smoke out just above her head. “And neither are we.” Whitworth just nodded and sat passively again.

Al tried to defuse the stifling situation. “So, what’s your code name?”

“I’m the Frostbite Alchemist,” she said, her chest puffing out with pride. “Concentrated endothermic reactions in the air around a target that allow me to incapacitate or eliminate an enemy at any range.”

“Impressive,” Al said, leaning forward. “Do you think I could see a demonstration?”

“I’d rather not Mr. Elric,” Whitworth said flatly. “A public street isn’t an appropriate place for an alchemic demonstration, though if the opportunity does arise later I would have no problems sharing what I’ve found in my own research.” Al smiled, but there was a noticeable tinge of disappointment in his eyes.

“So, must be pretty quiet out here then,” Breda said, leaning back in his chair. “Must enjoy the place.”

“It is quiet, though personally I would prefer to be transferred to Ft. Briggs or Ermutuso.” Whitworth’s eyes started to sparkle in a way that reminded Al of someone he couldn’t put his finger on. “Both are on the forefront of the military’s defense of Amestris, either posting would be an honor to go to as a state alchemist.”

“Not really ma’am,” Fuery said, voice suddenly sounding weary. “I was posted to Ermutuso, that city isn’t somewhere you’d want to be.”

Whitworth kept smiling. “Not as a typical soldier perhaps, but a state alchemist is a tool of the military. It would be an honor to be placed in combat and preserve our hard-won borders from those that would encroach upon us.” Alice beamed at her fellow lieutenant.

“Until you get into the trenches,” Fuery said, eyes going distant. It was a look Alice had seen on Randel before. “Every other hour you get a mortar bombardment, and you either huddle into your dugout or risk getting buried in the mud and dirt. Even with constant supplies we were still short on everything we needed, from medicine to food. The Aerugan artillery saw to that.” Leaning back, Fuery stared up at the skies. “Us wiremen had it the worst. The constant bombardments were always cutting our lines. We were always running, every day, unspooling new cable between positions. The Aerugans treated us like targets on the range, sometimes I think they even made a game out of it. The machine guns would try to down us when we got too close to no man’s land, the snipers would try to pick us off whenever we started running or just before we could duck back down. That’s how I lost three of my runners.”

Whitworth blinked. “You're a warrant officer though, why were you running?”

Fuery grinned a little. “I chose to rotate ma’am. Each run let me keep another one of my soldiers from having to go up themselves. I lost some, but I saved others. I couldn’t decide who would live and who would die, but I could tilt the odds a little.”

Whitworth shook her head. “A soldier’s duty is to do what is required; those men died for a greater purpose for our nation. Thanks to them our people and land were protected against the aggression of Aerugo.”

Alice started to nod, but stopped when she saw the dour expressions on the Amestrians. Even May looked uncomfortable as Whitworth’s pride in her nation, though Alice realized that it must have been because of how May must have been taking the whole thing as a foreigner. “Well let’s move on from that then,” Alice said. “What made you want to join?”

Whitworth almost seemed to sit up like someone had tied her to a pole and said that if she stayed that way she’d get to actually go to Briggs or Ermutuso. “My family has had centuries of service in the military, since the days of knights and bandits. It considered it my personal duty to both Amestris and my family to serve.”

Alice’s eyes lit up. “_Oh my gosh,_” she thought. “_She might not be me, but she understands! A is A, this is incredible!_” She didn’t notice Breda and Falman sharing a look. “Me too, my grandfather told me so many stories about his days in the military.”

“Mine too,” Claire said happily. “His fights against bandits in the West-”

“His charges on the enemy guns-”

“The day he met my grandmother-”

“And the wedding they had.” Alice laughed. “I have to say, I’m happy I got to meet you Claire.”

Claire smiled as the food came out. “I’m glad as well, Malvin. I hope that after this is over I’ll be able to see more of you.”

Al leaned over to May. “Are you thinking it too?”

May nodded. “They aren’t exactly alike, but they are similar in too many ways to discount. We need to ask Maj. Carter about possible differences in such matters.”

* * *

Lunch over, Whitworth led the teams back to the briefing room. As they walked in, Havoc turned to Whitworth. “Say, sorry to be a jerk, but could you get some coffee up here? If we’re going to be looking over the reports for a while we’d better be able to stay awake.”

Whitworth paused, looking at Cpl. Oland for a second but nodding. “Of course sir, I’ll have it here in four minutes.”

Smiling as Whitworth sped away, Havoc shut the door and dropped the smile. “Okay, who is she?”

“A member of the Whitworth family sir,” Falman said. “A branch from the Armstrong family.”

Al gasped. “You’re kidding! She’s related to Col. Armstrong!?”

“It adds up,” Breda said. “Whitworths are all focused on proper appearance and upbringing in everything. They also usually trail behind the Armstrongs in everything. They’re rich, but they aren’t quite the Armstrongs. They’ve also pretty loyal to the state, which is gonna be a problem if she’s with us on this one.”

Alice gasped. “How is it a problem? She’s a loyal soldier, and an alchemist! Shouldn’t we be asking her for help?”

“Not when she still buys what Bradley was selling,” Havoc said. “Did you hear how she was going on about Aerugo?”

“She was talking about how she’s willing to fight against her nation’s enemies sir,” Alice said, a little louder than her team was used to her speaking to a superior. “Even if she doesn’t know the whole story, she does mean well.”

Falman checked the clock hanging up on the wall. “Three minutes Havoc.”

Havoc nodded, and quickly went to his usual grin. “A good point. Maybe that can be useful.” The door opened, and Whitworth walked in ahead of a private bearing a tray of coffee, a stack of files in-hand. “Thanks private, you can just leave that on the table and head out. So, Whitworth, what’ve you got?”

“All reports related to the incidents,” Whitworth said. “How would you like to proceed sir?”

“Al, May, you two start taking a look first. See if anything in here can give us a clue for what’s coming out of this place.”

“Well I’ve already got a theory,” Al said, taking some of the folders from Whitworth. “There’s only one thing that would be attacking live animals and eating them related to alchemy.”

Whitworth looked confused as she handed the rest of the notes to May. “Chimera experimentation? That can’t be right, the military only allowed massed chimeric experiments in research labs with strong garrisons able to act in case the experiments were able to escape.” Either Whitworth didn’t notice the looks she was getting from the team around her, or she didn’t care.

“It’s possible this was a rogue operation,” Martis said, breaking the silence. “We’re starting to gather evidence that during Bradley’s time in office there was an illegal operation utilizing state alchemists to pursue illegal alchemic experimentation.”

“Monsters,” Whitworth growled, fist clenched as she took her own seat. “To do such a thing within their own government.”

“Which is why we’re here,” Havoc said, wrangling Whitworth. “Al, May, you both getting anything?”

“I think we are,” May said. “The things in this report on the Altman ranch state that there were animal cries that the rancher had never heard before, and hasn’t heard since. It may be that the experiments inside have broken free.”

“After a year?” Breda shook his head as he took one of the files. “How’d they survive that long?”

“And how many,” Fuery mentioned. “A lab that size must have more than enough space for multiple chimera must have been able to house dozens of them.”

Havoc looked up. “When did the attacks start?”

Al checked the report. “This says about five months ago.” Everyone slowly digested those words; the monsters had to have been hungry after five months. There was a muffled shouted, quickly followed by the distant laughing and cheering of men from elsewhere on the floor. “What’s that?”

Whitworth sighed. “Another going away. Fifth one this month actually.”

Falman smiled. “Changing posts or leaving duty?”

“Not sure,” Whitworth said, shrugging as she was passed one of the files. “I had no reason to go to this one, I had to prepare to meet you all.”

Oreldo looked up. “Was he not in your section?”

“I can’t say,” Whitworth said. “I haven’t had any problems with my section, so I see no reason to involve myself in their work.”

Nearly all of the room looked at each other. Everyone except Alice. “_What’s going on,_” Alice thought. “_Why are they surprised she’s focused on her work?_”

As the silence hung over the room, the reports were passed around and dug into. Alice got a rather particular report; a heifer, two years old, pregnant. The farmer noted that she’d been perfectly healthy the day before, and that the vet had already checked the state of her and the calf with no issues a week prior. The next morning, he didn’t see her out with the herd. Setting out, the farmer later found her carcass near a small embankment. She had the same wounds that Claire had described; her eyes and tongue had been taken, and the skin around both wounds had been covered in maggots. There was nothing inside the cow, because the creature’s body had been torn open and left to the elements. Even the fetus had been eaten, the small creature almost ready to be born described as being ripped to pieces and dumped next to the heifer. According to the file even the bones had been broken open and the marrow taken out.

“This isn’t right,” Al said. “Some of these attacks are going after the healthier cattle, the ones that should have been able to get away or at least fight against an attack.”

Alice blinked. “I don’t understand, why is that odd?”

“Predators don’t strike at healthy prey unless they’re able to outnumber of overpower it,” May said. “More often it’s the weaker, sickly parts of the herd.”

“Meaning that this thing is smart?” Oreldo shuddered. “So how’d they take them down without the ranchers hearing anything?”

“All the attacks happen at night,” Randel said, looking between two files. Whitworth’s face scrunched up at Randel speaking like he was. “Maybe it’s just a nocturnal predator?”

“Fast and strong enough to kill lone cattle and hungry enough to devour almost everything inside it,” Havoc said. “Not a good combo for us.”

“Here’s something else,” Fuery said, his voice betraying his nervousness. “The rancher in this case says he couldn’t figure out what the tracks around the corpse were. He says it looked like a dog at first, but the pad was too long for a normal stray.”

“Or the man is simply trying to rationalize that he was struck by bad luck,” Whitworth said, waving her hand at the thought. “I’m sure once we go out at talk to these ranches we’ll see that there’s no threat of the chimeras escaping.” Alice noticed that no one else looked like they agreed with her.

* * *

Armstrong made some idle sketches as the train rambled on as the sun started to set, most of the car falling asleep or talking quietly to each other. “Tell me Sheska, how is your mother doing? I recall her need for better medical care was the reason you came to work with our office in the first place.”

Sheska looked up in surprise. “Oh, well she’s fine sir. Thanks to the pay the doctors say she’s going to be fine.”

“That’s quite good to hear,” Armstrong said, still sketching. “I must admit, when you first came into the office I wasn’t sure you would make a good soldier.”

“And now?”

“I still believe you would never have been a good soldier,” Armstrong said, so bluntly that Sheska felt like she’d just been smacked. “Though in a way, I’m grateful for that.”

“You…You are sir?”

“To take up a soldier’s may seem like a simple decision,” Armstrong said, shutting his book. “All you need to do is go to a recruiting office and state your intentions. There are no questions or tests to take, simply sign your name and away you’re sent to be trained.”

“Well yeah, when you put it like that it is pretty easy.” Sheska smiled up at Armstrong. “At least no one expected me to do anything crazy though.”

“_Unless you count being part of a counter-conspiracy to topple one organized by monsters,_” Armstrong thought. “I am thankful that you chose to remain a part of the office Sheska, your aid has been invaluable after all that’s happened in the coup.”

Sheska’s expression turned dour. “I just wish Fuhrer Bradley hadn’t died. My mother keeps talking about how worried she is about things now that he’s gone. She said she’d never respected anyone in charge quite like him.”

Armstrong kept silent. Bradley had been popular, it was why the story of Grumman being part of the counter-coup had helped the public from asking too many uncomfortable questions immediately after the fact. Still, he hadn’t felt comfortable when he kept hearing people speak about how much better things had been under Bradley’s leadership.

“So, what do you think will happen when we meet Gen. Ambrosini?”

Armstrong thought for a moment. “I’m honestly not sure. The conspiracy ran deep, and even if he’d retired before it came to fruition he would still possess information on who may have been a part of it. Secrets like that don’t come out of a man so easily. It may take some time for him to reveal what he knows. Thankfully, we have as much time as we need.”

Sheska nodded. “I know sir. Still, doesn’t it bother you how so much of it seemed to disappear into the nation when the coup happened?”

“Of course,” Armstrong said, staring out the window as the oncoming night. “What they know, what they’re capable of, could put all Amestris in grave danger.”

* * *

“And that’s what we have,” Al said, setting the phone down on the table next to his bed and taking off his tie. “What do you think?”

“_It can’t be anything but chimera, just based on what you told me._” Something shifted on the other end of line as Ed sat down at his desk. “_I’m sure that interviewing the ranchers will tell you the same thing._”

“Maybe,” Al said, setting down on his bed with his notes. “What I don’t understand is how they got loose at all. There must have been a way to keep them locked up in the first place, so how’d they manage to escape?”

“_Something must’ve happened during the Promised Day,_” Ed said. “_Maybe one of the doctors was letting the experiments out for testing, whatever it was you need to be careful._”

“I will.” Al paused, thinking for a few moments. “There’s something else.”

“_There always is._”

“When we got here, the lieutenant had reports stretching back for months. We only just got the information on the facility last week though.”

“_I thought that too,_” Ed said, his concern coming over the line. “_I don’t think Grumman is lying to us, but it’s not adding up that they think you’re responding to something they were already taking care of._”

Al checked out the window. “You think Grumman isn’t telling us everything?”

“_Well he is involved in politics now,_” Ed said. Al could see the grin on his face. “_I don’t know if this was purposeful or not though. Mention this to Havoc and see what he says._”

“Right. How’s everything at home?”

“_Well I’ve been thinking about traveling again Al,_” Ed said. “_It’s been nice, being home and seeing Winry so often. There’s something telling me to keep moving though._”

Al smiled. “What were you thinking?”

“_There have to be other alchemists out there, making new discoveries every day right? We learned our lessons, but there’s people out there still moving forward. Can you imagine what they might be finding that we might have never even imagined?_”

Al leaned back, laying his head on his pillow. “Well, there’s no such thing as no such thing.”

“_Right._”

“So what’s Winry have to say about this?”

Ed suddenly sounded rather nervous. “_Well, I mean I still have to tell her and Granny what I’m thinking, but there shouldn’t be a problem right?_”

Al smiled. “I’m kidding brother. I know Winry wouldn’t stop you from doing this.”

“_Shouldn’t you get some sleep?_”

Al laughed. “I’ll talk to you later Ed.”

“_Take care Al._”

Putting the receiver back on the cradle, Al sighed as he shut his eyes. Savoring the feel of the back of his head on the soft pillow and the softness of the comforter, he let his hand run along the headboard of the bed and feel the smoothness of the wood as he drifted off to sleep._  
_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Sheska yawned as she followed Armstrong off the train. It was still dark as they left the car, Wellesley Station quiet except for the odd janitor sweeping before the start of the day or a small shop inside the station putting out their wares before the morning rush. The fresh donuts and pastries tempted her, but Armstrong was rushing through the station so fast that Sheska had to nearly jog to keep up, even as he carried both suitcases. “S-S-Sir, why are we in such a rush?”

“We’re just taking a brisk walk through the station,” Armstrong said. “We do have an appointment to keep.” As he spoke, Armstrong’s eyes scanned every shop and bench and person he could see, from a baker putting out some fresh slices of sweetbread to a bald man in a black suit carrying a briefcase.

Outside, the streets were empty save for a pair of MPs on patrol and a lone beggar looking for cenz. Steering away from the men, Armstrong instead went to the beggar. “Excuse me sir, perhaps you can help me.”

The man looked up in confusion at the sharply dressed Armstrong. “How in the hell do you want me to help you?”

“I was wondering if you could take us to the ranch of Gen. Ambrosini.”

The man started to laugh, his thick beard shaking until he saw Armstrong’s expression. “You’re serious?”

“I can pay you for the help,” Armstrong said, reaching into his coat and pulling out a wad of cenz. “Half if you accept, half once we get there.”

The man’s eyes lit up. “Sure, sure I’ll take you there. Not sure what you want with that old coot, but yeah I’ll take you.” Sheska’s eyes screwed up as the man stood and his smell hit her nose, but Armstrong either didn’t notice or didn’t care. “What do you two want from the old man anyway?”

“My father and he served together, but my father has passed on recently.” Armstrong put on the waterworks a little, Sheska staring at her boss in surprise. “It was my father’s wish that they have one last drink together, but I will have it with him in his place.”

“Well if you have any left feel free to share.” Dusting off his worn, torn coat, the bum spun around and set to walking. “C’mon, it’s a ways to the ranch.”

* * *

The garrison only had two cars, the rest of the teams had to make do with carriages or horses. Alice didn’t mind, her mare was fit and had a calm demeanor. She was happy to see Whitworth was a rider as well, ably mounting her gelding as soon as she had him tacked. The both of them tried to hide their grins and stifle their laughter as Havoc fumbled to clamber up onto his stallion, which then tried to take off before he was ready. Riding through the countryside here was a sharp contrast to the Empire. Instead of lush grasses and strong, stark trees, here the land was scrub and dusty. Small channels ran through along the road, Alice guessing it was where the waters from what rain did fall traveled down. Even early in the morning the sun made itself felt, the only protection the hoods on the greatcoats. Havoc’s cigarette smoke drifted though the air, his horse snorting at the stink of it. Alice groaned, wiping at the first signs of sweat beading on her forehead. “How far away is the ranch?”

“Not too far,” Whitworth said. “The Patons reported five cows killed in two months, though according to the report they’ve been critical of the response to the incident.”

Alice shook her head. “What did they expect though? There’s no strong information to go on, all you can do is investigate.”

“That’s what I told them,” Whitworth said, shaking her head. “Unfortunately they seem to believe that the military is faltering since we lost Fuhrer Bradley and claimed we were going soft.” Alice was thankful Whitworth was facing ahead, that way she could react appropriately with a cringe. “Still, they are one of the ranches with multiple losses to their herd, so it is an appropriate place to begin interviewing in relation to the facility.”

A short time later, Alice blinked at a piece of green in the distance. “Whitworth, what’s that over there?”

Whitworth looked and shook her head. “The Northwest Mental Asylum. The facility founders believed that it would be conducive to mental rehabilitation to remove the people in need of treatment from the business of society and allow them to recover at their own pace.”

Havoc turned. “Did they ever report seeing anything?”

Whitworth scoffed. “How could we trust what they have to say? They’re mental patients in an asylum, nothing they say could be considered reliable statements.” Havoc nodded, looking back up the dusty road to the ranch.

Eventually there was mooing in the distance, though Alice couldn’t see the herd over the small rises in the land she did see the barbed-wire fence in the distance marking the boundaries of the ranch. Just off the road there was a sign atop the fence, “PATON RANCH”. In front of the gate, two men stood under a small shanty in the shade with rifles on their shoulders. “Help you folks?”

Whitworth pulled her silver pocket watch from her pocket. “Capt. Havoc, Lt. Whitworth, and Lt. Malvin, here to conduct further investigations on the lost cattle.” Alice felt her heart swell at the display. Here the military wasn’t distrusted or seen as uncaring, here-

One of the men spit a dark stream of tobacco juice as his partner glared at Whitworth. “State dog huh? Well, ain’t that just peachy.”

“Well I’m not,” Havoc said, dismounting and smiling as he walked over with his hand out. “I’m just a normal fool who has a job to do. Jean Havoc.”

The ranch hand raised an eyebrow but shook. “Pleasure. If you’re looking for Mr. Paton, he’s up at the main house straight down the path. Best move quick though, he’s usually on the south of the ranch by this time of day and that’s a two-hour ride with where the herd is.”

Havoc nodded as he awkwardly mounted up again. “Thanks. Listen, if we have any questions about what’s been happening lately would you two be able to tell us anything?”

“Ain’t much to tell,” the ranch hand said. “Just got something to do with animals and that old base out in the distance.” He glared up at Whitworth. “No idea what they could’ve been working on out there, right?”

“None at all,” Havoc said, putting his horse on the trail. “Thank you gents, we’ll see you later.”

Alice didn’t understand it. It was once thing for Section III to be treated poorly, she could accept that the people of the Empire had been told through rumors that it was only a propaganda unit. Here, she’d expected the people to be more willing to cooperate with the military. Whitworth wasn’t just a junior officer, she was a state alchemist. She was able to bend the world to her will, to command nature just as surely as Korra or Gray. True, she’d been rather direct in her introduction, but Alice didn’t think she’d been improper.

As they loped down the path, Alice saw the ranch buildings come into view. The main house was large, painted white with smaller bunk houses to the side. A large barn sat farther away, distant moos showing there were cattle in the stalls. There was a team of horses tied up in front of the house, a small group of hands with rifles and lever-action carbines standing around a middle-aged man with a close-shaven beard and wide-brimmed hat. “Remember, we need to get the herd back from the South field to the houses for the night. If there’s any missing and it’s dark, we’ll all take the loss but that’s how it’ll be.” The men groaned and grumbled, but the man ripped off his hat and waved it at the men. “Well if you want to go into town anymore you’ll do as you’re told! Now c’mon, it’s at least five hours to get those cattle back, and you all better have decided who stands the first watch.”

As the men saddled up, Havoc rode forward, dismounting and holding out the reins for Whitworth. “I’ll talk to the boss, you two just keep an eye on things.” Leaving the pair, Havoc walked past the staring ranch hands as they rode off up to the porch of the house. The dog growled, but the man just kept glaring as Havoc came close. “Morning sir. Safe to say you’re the owner?”

The man nodded, and as he put his hat on Alice realized his right arm was made of metal. “Well this is what I needed, another military man come to tell me what I do and don’t know.”

“No, I’m here to learn what I do and don’t know.” Havoc kept his smile up as he held out a hand. “Capt. Jean Havoc.”

“Lemark Paton,” the man said, still glaring. “I see you brought the alchemist with you. Don’t know what happened the last time she was here?”

“No, just got here from Central sir.” Havoc tapped some ash from his cigarette. “Brought me and my team in to try and help solve this problem.”

Paton scoffed. “So they want to solve the problem with a man who doesn’t know anything about life on a ranch. You ever actually worked cattle boy?”

Havoc shook his head. “No, but my parents and I sold to the ranches and men who worked them.”

Paton’s expression softened, but only slightly. “Well. Maybe you can understand. Don’t know why you brought her though,” Paton said, nodding to Whitworth. “That one was out here after I lost my third, way she talked you’d think I’d never even ridden before.”

“Well she’s still young,” Havoc said, not turning around. “If I promise to do most of the talking, think we can come inside and talk for a bit? Maybe even get some sweet tea? We’ve been riding a ways.”

Paton finally cracked a grin. “The talking is fine, but the sweet tea is if I think you’ll actually help. I’m not the only ranch who lost some of his herd to whatever’s happening.” Waving his metal arm, Alice saw Havoc motion for them to come inside. Tying the horses up, Alice and Whitworth carefully passed by the still-growling dog inside to a small foyer. There was a staircase to the right up to a second floor, and a hall leading back to other rooms. To the immediate left was a kitchen and dining area where the ranch hands could eat, and to the right a small office where Havoc stood waiting.

Paton sat behind the desk, grumbling as he flexed his metal arm. “Stinkin’ piece of junk, went all the way to Rush to get this made and it’s still giving me trouble. Well, sit, that’s why I bought the damn chairs in the first place.”

Havoc nodded, motioning for the two lieutenants to do the same. “Thanks sir. So, seeing as I just got here, think you can tell me what’s happened?”

Paton sighed as he stopped fiddling with his arm. “I didn’t take the stories seriously, you lose cattle as a fact of life out here. I figured the other ranches were just trying to make up stories so they didn’t have to answer any hard questions. Hell, when the first of my cattle got killed I figured it was just coyotes that snuck in through the fences somehow.”

Havoc nodded, taking out a cigarette and offering it to Paton who waved it away. Sticking it in his mouth, he leaned back in his seat. “So, what’d the body look like?”

“Same as any animal attack,” Paton said. “Bite marks on the neck and hide, blood on the dust, must’ve been recent since there weren’t any maggots when we found it.”

Havoc lit up and started puffing. “The first cow wasn’t sick or injured?”

Paton shook his head. “No, was a four year old heifer, had planned to use her for another five years before this happened.”

“But the other attacks?”

Paton looked uncomfortable at the though. “By the third I knew it wasn’t coyotes, that’s when I called the garrison in Zumcam.” He turned to glare at Whitworth for a moment. “They told me when they got here that I was overreacting to a predator killing my herd, said I should be more cautious about where I let’em graze and roam at night.”

“Well not every soldier understands how it works on the ranch,” Havoc said. “So what happened by the fifth attack?”

“Well by then I’d had some of my hands riding with the herd to make sure they’d be safe,” Paton said. “Problem was that one of the cows got loose. Wouldn’t have found it if we hadn’t seen the birds circling over the corpse. Same sight; bite marks, blood, just a mess. Was about to send it to the stockyards too when it happened.”

“When do the attacks usually happen? Any specific time of night?”

Paton shook his head. “We find them missing in the morning, by the time we find them it’s usually too late.”

Havoc nodded, leaning forward with a more determined look. “Alright, let’s get into some details then.”

* * *

Al was crouched down next to the remains of the latest victim, a young bull that had apparently been a hopeful moneymaker for the ranch he, May, and Randel had taken. The rancher stood behind them, a younger man who’d inherited the ranch from his recently-passed father. “I’m just saying, I’ve never seen wounds like that that on any animal,” he said. “It’s like the teeth are all mismatched, just wrong for a coyote. Hell, even a wolf.”

May tried her best not to look at the carcass. It’s one thing to see it grilled and ready to eat, another to see what it looks like _au naturel_. “Do you get many predators near your ranch?”

“Well coyotes, maybe a stray pack of wolves or a mountain lion. Hell, six years ago we even had a bear make its way down.” The rancher shook his head as he motioned toward the scrubland. “That’s it though, I mean there’s so many cows being killed that we can’t figure out why we haven’t found anything that’s doing it yet.”

Randel tried to look away from the carcass, staring out on the flat dusty landscape with unfocused eyes. May noticed and looked to the young rancher. “Sir, do you think we can go back for some water?”

“I’ll stay here,” Al said, taking out a notebook. “I’ll find my way back, I just want to make a few notes.” Listening as the three walked away, Al sighed and circled the carcass once more. The ground was still discolored from the dried blood, the stomach caved out and everything that could be eaten inside had been. The tongue was gone, the eyes too. Al wondered how hungry they might be. “_Not that hungry,_” Al thought, thinking about how many red Xs there had been on the map. “_At least not yet._”

The cigarette smoke hit him the same time the voice did. “We’re all animals, all of us little different from the beasts we claim to have risen above on the food chain. Yet what is it that makes a man ponder over death where a beast will see nothing more than his next meal?”

Al jumped up, turning to see Rod standing there in a pristine suit clean of dust even as the wind started to blow. “Rod, hi. What are you doing here?”

“Observing, for now.” Rod said. “I’ve seen the progress of the MVTF Al, seen what it’s done. The work of MV-4 in U-1928, I’ll admit I had some difficulty being there to observe but I did see the end of that operation.”

“Oh,” Al said, unsure of what to say next. Now it was Rod’s turn to stare down at the carcass, patiently smoking as he did. Taking a breath, Al spoke up. “Rod, what are you?”

Rod didn’t look up. “I’m just a man, a man looking for his own answers as he travels the long roads of infinity.”

Al nodded. “_Okay, probably not going to get a straight answer right away._” Thinking for a second, Al tried again. “Rod, have you talked to anyone else?”

“Not within the MVTF,” he said, crouching down and staring at the empty eyes of the bull. “They aren’t ready yet Al, not ready by any measure to which I could hold them to.”

“And I am?” Rod nodded. Al's expression darkened. “Because of what happened to me.”

“You’ve gone beyond what any other human being could picture,” Rod said. “You’ve not only beheld the truth of existence but of your own life. You’ve gone beyond the bounds of what a man is allowed to, not just in terms of where he can go but of what he can comprehend.” He nodded to Al’s hands. “Man one moment, nearly God the next.”

Al stepped back. “No, no I’m not even close to that,” he said, Rod didn’t bother looking up. “I mean trying to become God, it’s the exact opposite of what an alchemist should be willing to do.”

Rod nodded. “As you seek to refine that which is imperfect to the perfect and utilize creation to what you want and need.” Al sighed. It was a simple argument, but simple was sometimes the hardest to argue against. “What do you think did this?”

“A chimera,” Al said, going back to scribbling in his notes. “Do you know what those are?” Rod nodded. “I’m not surprised, I’m just wondering why there are so many attacks. If they’re human-animal chimera, they should have enough intelligence to conceal their actions. If they’re just animals, how did this many manage to survive this long? And why is it that this hasn’t been reported up to Central if they’ve been dealing with this for five months?”

Rod took another drag and tapped off the ash as he exhaled. “You’re searching for answers, Alphonse. Answers to questions that are still the most basic you’ve encountered. Like before this is only a start, there are other questions coming that you need to think about in greater terms.” Rod smiled this time; a warm and welcoming smile that made Al actually feel at peace. “By that point, you’ll have more than me to help.”

Al chuckled as he made his notes. “Maybe, but just once I’d like to have questions with easy answers.”

Rod shook his head. “You and your brother both know better; equivalent exchange.”

Al nodded as he finished with his notes. “You’re right. It’d just be nice is all. So, what about right now?” Silence. Looking up, Al sighed when he saw that there was no sign of Rod again, just cigarette smoke lingering in the air. Closing his book, Al started walking back to the ranch house.

* * *

Alice blinked as Havoc turned his horse down the path to the asylum. “Sir, what are you doing?”

“Making a side trip,” Havoc said. “Just wanted to ask the people who actually live around here if they’ve seen anything.”

Whitworth shook her head. “Sir, these people are ill. Nothing they tell us could possibly assist in finding out what’s happened. To say nothing of the fact that there were no attacks anywhere near this facility.”

Havoc nodded. “I know. I just I’ve just got a hunch I need to satisfy.”

Riding up the path, Alice watched as the scrub became well-maintained shrubs and gardens. Green trees rose from the sides of the path up to the front of the faded brick building, with agents in white shirts and pants shuffling about with rakes and trowels from flower bed to flower bed. Staff walked about as well, keeping an eye on the patients but staying away otherwise. Some of the patients looked up in confusion or surprise at the trio, Alice uncomfortable at their eyes. They didn’t look at her with anger or annoyance. It was like they were looking at her like she was really there, like they were questioning their minds for what they were seeing. Some of them smiled at the horses though, reaching out to try and pet them.

A doctor in a worn but still fitted suit walked out of the front of the building with an orderly behind him. He looked like a genial man, smiling behind his thick mustache and mutton chops. “Good morning. Well, afternoon at this point isn’t it? Dr. Thorndyke, chief of staff at the Northwest Mental Asylum.”

“Capt. Jean Havoc.” Again fumbling off his horse, Havoc kept the reins tight as he shook the doctor’s hand. “How are you out here sir?”

“Well we’re doing well enough,” Thorndyke said, looking out on the patients tending the gardens. “I must admit, I didn’t expect anyone to visit us.”

Havoc nodded. “We’re here investigating the cattle killings sir, figured it might be worth a shot to ask anyone in the area about what they saw.”

Thorndyke’s eyebrow went up. “You don’t think my patients-”

Havoc held up a hand. “No, sir, we don’t think they have anything to do with it. It’s just a hunch of mine, but only if we get your permission of course.”

Thorndyke looked back at the orderly. “Well the patients who aren’t taking their turns in the gardens could be allowed I suppose, I’ll meet with the other doctors to see what patients might be willing to speak about this.” Havoc nodded, following Thorndyke in.

“I don’t get it,” Whitworth said, taking the reins of hers and Havoc’s horses to tie up to a bench in front of the building. “What does he really expect to find out from these lunatics?”

Alice shook her head. “Capt. Havoc must seem like he has an…odd way of doing things,” she said, patting her horse’s muzzle as she reached in and pulled out a tin of sugar cubes. “He’s still a competent officer, he must know something that will help us figure this out.”

Whitworth shook her head, turning to glare at one of the patients getting close to the horses; the patient started to fall away as soon as they met Whitworth’s piercing eyes. “Perhaps. If I’m able to speak frankly with you, I don’t think he acts like an officer should.”

Alice nodded, thinking back to Havoc during the party after they defeated Acnologia; grabbing tankard after tankard and at one point toppling sideways into the pool as he tried to talk to Erza Scarlet. “I agree, he isn’t what I expected a captain to act like. Still, he is a professional and I’ve seen him in action. I think we can trust him.”

Whitworth scoffed. “He’s too close to the enlisted though, given how he acts towards Cpl. Oland. An officer needs to stay above their command, they need to be able to give the orders that can put their subordinates in harms way.” Alice paused for a second as she held some cubes out for her horse, thinking about the missions she’d been on with her team. “Are you alright?”

“Oh, I’m fine,” Alice said, patting her horse again before following Whitworth inside. “Let’s just catch up.”

Hurrying inside, the two saw Havoc standing by the front desk as Thorndyke spoke with three other doctors and several nurses. Glaring up at a no smoking sign, Havoc leaned against the desk. “He’s seeing which patients are in the best state to talk, said we can probably talk to maybe five or six from the sounds of it.”

Whitworth shook her head. “Sir, that isn’t enough to make a case off of.”

Havoc shrugged. “You never know, it all depends on the case.”

Thorndyke nodded to the doctors and nurses, who quickly separated as he walked to the trio. “We can speak with the patients in my office. They’re more cognizant, though their histories are…troubling.”

“We’ll still take the shot,” Havoc said, shrugging as he followed Thorndyke up the stairs. The office was professional, bookcases full of manuals and books on the workings of the mind along with accolades from Thorndyke’s career. On the desk, pictures of graduations, social events, and a wedding from many years ago.

“Remember, these people are here for their eventual recovery,” Thorndyke said, taking off his glasses to polish as he sat down. “They have a wide range of mental syndromes and conditions, so I ask that you please heed any advice I give as we speak to them.” Havoc nodded. “Very good. Now, let us begin.” The first patient was a large, smiling bald man. Two orderlies stood at the door, Alice pondering how there was anything wrong with him. “Good afternoon Michael.”

“Good afternoon doctor,” Michael said, his wide smile showing off a perfect set of teeth. “What’ve you called me here for today?”

“Well this fine gentlemen has some questions for you,” Thorndyke said, gesturing to Havoc. “Would it be alright for him to speak with you?”

Michael laughed, deep and whole as he slapped his knee. “Of course! You know how I’m always there to help doctor! So, tell me then, what do you need my help with?”

Havoc gave Thorndyke a look before turning to Michael. “Michael, did you know that the cattle in this area are being killed?”

Michael nodded. “Oh yes, terrible business too. In fact, I think I know the cause of it all.”

Havoc nodded. “Malvin, take this down.” Alice flinched and quickly grabbed a pencil and notebook.

“You see, I’ve been thinking about these killings,” Michael said, leaning back in his seat in deep thought. “It’s a difficult task you see, being cooped up in here. However, my experience with such cases has already told me what the most likely case is.” He turned to Havoc with a grin. “You see, your killers aren’t animals. The whole thing is a revenge plot.”

Alice scribbled down hurriedly. “_Revenge? Against who?_”

Havoc nodded. “Revenge? Against who?”

Michael pointed at himself. “Why me, of course.” Alice paused as she wrote, looking up at Michael trying to process. “Why I’m the one who stopped their killings before I was put in here, along with their smuggling and money laundering. Why I could tell you about those cases, if you want.”

Havoc shook his head at Thorndyke. “No thank you Michael, that is quite enough,” Thorndyke said, giving Michael a patient smile. “You can go back to the common room now, I’m sure if Capt. Havoc needs any more help he’ll ask for you.” Looking dejected, Michael was led out by the orderlies; Thorndyke waited until the door was shut to speak. “His family had him committed, he became obsessed with a series of detective novels until he believed he was taking part in them.” Alice gaped at Havoc, who simply nodded.

It was a long process of interviews. A woman who claimed that her bastard husband was the one responsible; a man who said that it was his judgement as God on the ranchers for abandoning his teachings; a small quiet teen boy who only shook his head at each question; an older woman who laughed between each sentence. Alice couldn’t decide if anything was useful that they were being given.

“It’s getting rather late,” Thorndyke said as he checked his watch. “These last two patients will have to be the last two, after that we have to feed our patients and prepare them for bed.”

“Understood sir,” Havoc said, waiting as the orderlies went to get another patient. “So how long have you been out here anyway? The asylum I mean.”

“Oh, about six years now,” Thorndyke said. “The placement of the hospital was my idea, but the good majority of funding came from the government.”

Havoc’s eyebrow rose slightly. “It did?”

“It’s a difficult venture, getting food and supplies needed to run a facility of this sort so far away from a major city. Still the patients are cared for, and we have had a decent rate of recovery in the past for many of them.” Thorndyke smiled. “I was only able to take charge of the hospital recently though, my predecessor took a leave of absence about a year ago.”

Havoc nodded as the next patient was brought in. Alice saw a small woman with short brown hair, eyes darting everywhere around the room. “Clara, please have a seat.” The woman sat at Thorndyke’s offer, but only at the edge of the chair and turned to face the three soldiers. “Are you alright?” She nodded. “That’s Capt. Havoc, he wanted to ask you some questions.”

Havoc smiled, crouching down to Clara’s eye level. “Hi Clara, my name’s Jean.” Clara leaned away, but Havoc just kept smiling. “I’m looking for some help. Think you can help me?” Clara didn’t move, her eyes kept jumping from Havoc to everywhere else in the room. “We’re here asking about what’s happening to the cattle, the farmers-”

Clara shrieked, jumping out of her chair and scrambling for the windows. “No! No, don’t take me, don’t take me!” Alice gasped as the two orderlies and Thorndyke jumped for the girl, struggling to bring her under control. Alice dropped her pad and pencil as she watched three grown men fight to hold her. “You can’t take me, you can’t take me!”

Havoc stood by, watching as the orderlies pulled the girl away from the window. “I want her sedated and kept under observation,” Thorndyke said, straightening his outfit. “I’m terribly sorry for that captain, Clara is typically one of our quieter patients in this facility.”

“It’s fine,” Havoc said, looking to Alice. “You take down what she said?” Alice jumped and grabbed for her notes. “One last patient doc.”

The final patient was an older man, straddling the line between being a senior and being infirm. He hobbled in bent over at the middle, with tired eyes and snow-white hair. One of the orderlies walked him to the seat, Thorndyke seeming even more calm as the man sighed as he sat down. “It’s good to see you Jeffrey.” The man mumbled a response, a small smile on his face. “I’m sorry to disturb your reading but we need your help. This man needs to speak with you.” Another mumbling reply. “Can you speak with him?”

“How’s it going old timer,” Havoc said, crouching again. “Capt. Havoc. I’m guessing you’ve been here a while?” Jeffrey mumbled and nodded. “You eating alright?” Another nod. “So, we need to ask you some questions about what’s been happening to the cattle.”

Jeffrey froze. “You see them too?”

Havoc shook his head. “No, I don’t. I need to know what they look like old timer.”

Jeffrey shuddered, staring down at the floor. His eyes were for someone who didn’t know what was real, but maybe now things were a little more real than before. “They changed shape, five months ago.”

“What’d they look like before?”

“Before they just looked like men,” Jeffrey said, still staring at the floor. “They weren’t, but they were perfectly disguised. You couldn’t tell the difference unless you talked to them.” He was shaking, but when Thorndyke looked like he was about to tell the orderlies to take Jeffrey out Havoc held up a hand. “You believe me don’t you?”

“I believe you’ve seen things that no one could believe,” Havoc said. “I’ve been there.”

Jeffrey looked up at Havoc, meeting the officer’s eyes and seeing it was true. “They came back, I think it’s what they really are. They look like men, at least they stand like men. But they’re wild, do you understand? They’re like animals, that’s what they really must be. Animals that walk on two legs.”

Havoc nodded. “We’ll get rid of’em Jeffrey. I promise. Where do you see them?”

Jeffrey pointed out toward the front of the asylum. “They’ve started crossing the path, at night. Not many, ones and twos.” He looked up at Havoc. “They must want something in the town.”

Havoc’s eyes narrowed. “Thanks Jeffrey. We’ll make sure to handle this.” Still staring toward the front of the asylum, Jeffrey shuffled away with wide eyes as he was led away by the orderlies. “You get all that Malvin?”

Alice nodded. “Yes sir, but-”

“Thanks for your help Dr. Thorndyke,” Havoc said, shaking the doctor’s hand. “Sorry, but we need to act on this.”

Thorndyke blinked. “Act on what, you mean you think-”

“I think he saw something, it’s just that his mind colored the perception.” Havoc smiled. “You’re doing good work here doc, keep it up.” Speeding out the door before Thorndyke could get another word in, Havoc was already down the stairs by the time he heard Alice and Whitworth racing after him. “I was afraid of this. Whitworth, I need you to tell me where the stockyard is for the cattle.”

Whitworth took a second. “It’s on the southwest corner of the city-”

“How often do they send out the cattle to slaughter?”

“Every six months-”

“Dammit,” Havoc growled as he burst out the front door. “They’re following the smell of food!”


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Armstrong looked over the house. It was small, simple adobe for a man and his ranch with a small barn to the rear with a fence ringing the property. A few horses grazed lazily in the afternoon sun, one even came over to try and get a treat from Sheska. “Aw, sorry fella, I don’t have anything for you right now.” The horse let out a whinny, batting at Sheska’s hand at the insulting lack of treats. “Hey! Sir, this horse is being so rude!”

“The general must spoil them,” Armstrong said. “They’re quite intelligent animals, you should be careful how you talk where they can hear.” Walking up to the door, Armstrong looked to the bum that led them. “You’re sure the general is home?”

“Only ever really comes into the town when he needs something,” the man said, scratching his beard and staring through the nearest window. “Say, this ain’t gonna get me in any kind of trouble is it?”

Armstrong shook his head, holding out the rest of the cenz. “You can leave if you-” The bum snatched the money and started running.

Sheska crossed her arms and glared at the retreating bum. “Can you believe him?”

“I can,” Armstrong said, knocking on the front door. Silence, another knock, more silence. Armstrong backed away from the door. “Sheska, can you look into the barn from where you are?”

Sheska blinked, leaning and staring into the barn. “I can, well I could if the doors weren’t closed sir.”

Armstrong slammed on the door. “Gen. Ambrosini, are you there?” Sheska jumped a little before she ran to one of the windows and tried to see what was inside. “Anything?”

Sheska shook her head. “No, but it looks like there’s plates on the table and a bottle of whiskey.”

Armstrong ripped off his jacket. “Stand back, I need to break the door down!” With a roar, Armstrong slammed his shoulder against the wooden front door. Against a normal man, it probably would’ve stood up to four or five strong hits. Against an Armstrong, it shattered instantly. Scanning the interior of the house, Armstrong saw nothing until his eyes passed a boot laying under the table. Stepping over, Armstrong slammed his foot on the table sending the two plates and two glasses on it trembling and clattering. “We need to get back to the city,” he grumbled. “Someone got to him before we could.”

* * *

Whitworth shook her head. “Chimera aren’t that intelligent sir, they’re only animals. They can’t possibly understand that hiding during the day is what protects them.”

Havoc shook his head as he looked over the map with the Xs. “Look at it Whitworth, they’re moving with the food.”

“Then why haven’t the ranchers seen anything sir,” Whitworth said. “They’re watching their herds now, why aren’t they seeing any trace of these creatures?”

Al rubbed at his eyes. “Havoc, maybe we should tell her.”

Havoc sighed and turned around to face Al. “Three can keep a secret if two are dead Al.”

Whitworth looked around the room in confusion. “Sir, I promise that if you have information that must remain confidential, I will keep it as such. My only concern is solving this problem.” Whitworth’s eyes started sparkling again.

Havoc sighed, head down as he took another drag. “You sure about that? I mean are you absolutely sure you can handle what I’m about to tell you?”

Whitworth started to answer, but paused when she saw the faces on her fellow officers. None of them looked concerned or contemplative about the matter, instead they were all staring at her. Not at her, Alice realized, _through _her. They were staring through her to see if she could really handle what the truth was, and from their expressions she was wanting.

“Maybe we should refocus,” May said. “There’s no chance of us being able to do anything today, but tomorrow we can certainly move on the facility and find out what’s happened inside.”

Havoc finally picked up his head. “Just our two teams? Not a great idea. Even if we found every single possible way they could escape we need to make sure they can’t tunnel out somehow.” Sighing, he turned to Whitworth. “I’ll need to talk with your superiors. We’ll need men, machine gun teams, we need to surround the facility with enough force to keep whatever’s inside from getting out into the area.”

Whitworth’s eyes slowly started to light up again. “I’ll inform him immediately sir.”

Havoc didn’t look up as she ran out of the room. “Al, I get it but we can’t tell her the full extent of things. All she knows is that there were illegal chimeric experiments at the facility, it’s all we need to worry about her knowing.”

“But she’s a state alchemist as well,” Al said. “They thought she had the potential to be like Gen. Mustang, and look at how driven she is. If things hadn’t turned out like they had-”

“She might’ve gone to the bad guys,” Breda said. “She’s a true believer Al, alchemy to her is just another way she can serve the military. What do you think she’d do if she found out that it’s possible to make stones?”

“We’re not telling her anything,” Havoc said. Alice was surprised at the finality in his voice. “We’ll go in, clear the facility, and secure anything inside that can tell us what might have been going on. Then we’re going home and forgetting Whitworth even exists.”

Martis waited a few seconds before speaking up. “We may be able to use her to help us sir.” Havoc looked over. “Depending on how large the facility is, we may need someone to act as a distraction to either draw these creatures into hiding or attract a larger portion of them away from us.”

Alice turned on Martis. “I don’t want to hear any more of these ideas from my own subordinates. She’s a loyal officer trying to do her duty, I can’t believe you’d talk about her like this!”

Breda grinned. “Yeah, really sucks when you have to look in a mirror.”

Before Alice could compute what Breda had said, Havoc looked over the map of the attacks. “You’re not wrong. Okay, here’s what I’m thinking.”

* * *

Alice looked over a diagram of the outside of the facility that night in her room. No one had any blueprints of the interior, so they were going to have to live with going in blind. Her bigger concern was Randel. This was the first time he’d be going in without his lantern to combat, and she wasn’t sure how well he’d take having to fight as himself. It didn’t help that she couldn’t believe what Martis had said about using Whitworth as bait. “_I can’t believe he would suggest that,_” she thought. “_It’s insulting to even imagine! Whitworth is trying to help us, she’s a loyal soldier who just didn’t know what was happening. To use her as bait, how could we do such a thing._”

Tossing the diagram of the facility aside, Alice groaned. Looking out on the city at night, she noticed that she could see straight down to the Milton. It looked like there was a decent crowd out front, laughing and talking and eating their fill after a long day. Alice didn’t know if it was the end of the Amestrian week, but from the look of the front of the restaurant she figured it might as well have been. She started to feel sorry for them, that they’d been nearly used by their own nation as pieces of a terrible plan. She could understand Havoc not wanting anyone else to know if they didn’t need to, but being willing to use them as pawns for further secret dealings? To Alice it was no batter than the conspiracy that was overthrown.

Farther down the hall, Havoc was reading the same diagram and trying to think everything through. The garrison commander would be able to handle surrounding the facility, setting a good perimeter. The trick was handling what was inside. Al had mentioned human-animal chimera were intelligent, and capable of feats that could give an actual Armstrong trouble. Now all they had was a knockoff, and a conceited one to boot. If he was lucky, they’d be able to get her in a position to draw the chimera away or eliminate a good number of them. If the teams needed to split up, he’d send Al with Alice and her team; May was good, but Al _was_ the transmutation circle. If May ran out of knives, he’d rather she be with a team he could trust to keep her safe. Looking out at the sight of the hotel down the same street, he sighed. “_Soon as I get back to Central, I’m taking a break._”

* * *

[The next morning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYDQMZMwT8g) was like moving through time at double the pace. Alice was handed a “submachine gun” and guided onto a truck with the rest of the MV team. Havoc checked out her SMG before his shotgun. “Remember, we need to focus on the hard evidence; papers, transmutation circles, anything and everything that shows us what was going on in this facility. Don’t put it over your own life though; if you have to choose between evidence and getting out alive, get out alive.”

Oreldo grunted as he tried to find a comfortable spot to sit and kept failing. “Great, sure, but what about Whitworth? You think she’ll really just sit at the other end of the facility and wait for us to pat her head and say good job?”

Havoc laughed. “You make it sound like I’d actually do that.”

Alice ignored the talk, the bumpy ride in the middle of a convoy of trucks and cars. It didn’t matter that the back was open, the only thing she could see was the front of the next truck behind them. Instead she glared down at her SMG and sighed. They kept handing her guns, but she didn’t understand why. Wasn’t it clear she was more useful as a fighter with her blade? She glared down at the SMG and shook her head. It wasn’t elegant, it didn’t denote any kind of authority. It was a cheap, stamped-metal beast, made without pride or forethought of what it would be used for outside of combat. The fact that none of the Amestrians seemed to even notice struck her as insulting.

It was a half-hour before they finally rolled up to the facility; soldiers were already leaping out from the trucks as weapons teams placed their guns at the entrances. NCOs and officers barked orders to their platoons as rifle squads took cover behind the trucks. Up close the facility was larger than what Alice had expected, nearly the size of her family’s estate outside the capital. It was a faded-white edifice towering over the tan and brown landscape, with a tattered banner of Amestris hanging off the front. Whitworth came up with a smile, a small squad of men with rifles and SMGs behind her. “My platoon and I are ready for your orders sir.” Alice saw that her counterpart had a pair of metal bracers on her forearms over her uniform, a pattern drawn in the center of both; transmutation circles. “If I may suggest sir, I believe that we can be of more use in this incident if you allowed us to move in from our position into the facility proper.”

“No chance,” Havoc said, glaring at the facility as the garrison surrounded it. “You’ll stay there unless I tell you we’re that desperate for help.” Ignoring the insulted look Whitworth was failing to cover up, he went to the cab of the truck and grabbed the radio receiver. “This is Capt. Havoc to all commanders, I want confirmation as soon as your positions are prepared. Do not open fire unless you have a confirmed hostile target. We will wait ten minutes until all positions are ready, then my team will proceed through the front. Lt. Whitworth and her men will secure the primary rear entrance; no other team will enter the facility until either I give the go-ahead or we aren’t back out by tomorrow morning, over.”

One of the other officers radioed back. “_Next morning? What the hell is gonna keep you guys in there until tomorrow morning, over?_”

Havoc shrugged. “Probably us being dead. Anyone have any other questions, over?”

“_What should we expect to consider a hostile threat, over?_”

Havoc shrugged. “This facility was involved with chimeric experiments, expect the hostile threats to be big, ugly, and not willing to talk.” “_If they’re even able to._” “Anyone else? Alright, radio when your positions are ready, Havoc out.” Handing the receiver to the driver, he tossed his cigarette down and stomped it. “Let me know when all positions have radioed back.”

Breda shook his head. “We really don’t know what to expect Havoc, I still think we need to alert the city and ranchers if this goes sideways.”

“It can’t afford to go sideways,” Havoc said, working the lever on his shotgun. He checked over everyone else and their weapons: He, Breda, Randel, and Oreldo had lever-action shotguns. Alice, Falman, Fuery, and Martis had SMGs. Al and May had their alchemy, so he wasn’t so worried about them needing anything to defend themselves in the first place. “We have to make sure those things can’t get out again, one way or another. Where’s the truck I requested?”

Whitworth pointed to a single truck set aside from the rest of the operation guarded by four men. “Where you wanted it sir.”

Havoc nodded. “Once we’re done inside, we’ll set charges around all supports and columns. Make sure that this facility and anything left inside it are nothing but rubble, understood Whitworth?” The young lieutenant nodded. Al noticed she had those same sparkles in her eyes again. “Alright, everyone check your weapons one last time. Al, May, both of you make sure you can do what you both do as well.” As the team checked everything other, Havoc noticed that Alice was just staring off at the facility. “There a specific reason you aren’t making sure your weapon is ready?”

Alice went to attention. “Sir, permission to speak freely to a superior officer?”

Havoc blinked, and nodded. “Sure, what’s on your mind kid?”

Alice twitched. “Sir, I personally feel that your actions toward Lt. Whitworth have been rude, offensive, and demeaning. While she is not privy to the information regarding the coup that we are aware of, she is still an officer and due the respect of her rank, even from those above her.”

Havoc nodded, checking the rounds in his magazine. “Yeah, that’s fair. Say, when was Oreldo born?”

Alice blinked. “What do you mean-”

“Falman, he was born March 5th, 1890.” Havoc worked the lever and was satisfied with the action as he loaded an extra round. “Do you know what Martis’ hobbies are?”

“Sir what does that-”

“Fuery, he loves animals. Every chance he can, he volunteers at the nearest animal shelter with feeding and grooming the little furballs.” Lowering the barrel to the ground, Havoc started walking toward their truck. “You and Whitworth are alike, kid. That’s not a compliment. Also?” Havoc grabbed the SMG from Alice, cleared the chamber, retained the round, ejected the magazine, loaded the round back into the magazine, slammed it home, and chambered a round. “When I say check your weapon, do it.” Alice just stood rooted to the spot, barely holding the weapon as Havoc put it back in her hands.

He barely made it ten steps before the lurking shadow of Randel crossed over him. Sighing, Havoc turned with an annoyed expression to look up at the concerned giant. “What, think I was too hard on her?”

Randel nodded. “A little sir. Don’t you think she’s nervous right now with what we’re about to do?”

Havoc pointed to Randel’s shotgun. “You already check it out?” Randel nodded, working the action to Havoc’s satisfaction. “Look, I know I’m being tough to her. Hell, truth be told if it were my choice I wouldn’t have picked your team in the first place.”

Randel’s face fell. “Because of my lantern?”

Havoc’s eyebrow shot up. “Buddy, I worked with a living suit of armor against artificial people. You having a radio inside your skull isn’t something I’d consider unusual anymore.” Havoc nodded to Whitworth, staring ahead at the facility with the same sparkling eyes as her platoon talked and checked themselves over. “You notice what she’s doing?”

Randel blinked. “She’s….looking at the facility sir?”

“She’s looking at another notch on her belt,” Havoc said. “I don’t have to work with Whitworth, but I have to work with Alice in the future. That’s why I’m worried about her as an officer right now. Hell, I heard she didn’t know you were living under a bridge until the SGC asked about it.” Randel looked away, but Havoc didn’t let him slip through that easy. “Oh no, that one isn’t on you. She’s gotta learn there’s more to being an officer than just charging into danger and expecting her people to follow. If she doesn’t learn that here, we’re all in trouble.”

Randel sighed. “I know sir, she still has a lot to learn. She’s still a good officer though, I mean she cares more than...” Randel hesitated. “She cares sir, just in her own way.”

“Well she needs to learn a new way,” Havoc said, seeing the truck driver waving. “Get ready, we’re going in.”

Havoc lead the way up to the front of the facility. The only other structure was a small guard shack, already cracking from the strong winds and brutal sun constantly beating down on it. Two soldiers from the garrison were with them carrying a radio set, two more putting a machine gun down near the entrance. “Last chance, anyone backing out?” Silence. “Thought so. Okay, let’s go in.” Walking through the doorless entrance, Havoc kept his shotgun up as he led the way.

The walls were bare as the teams moved forward, and the sunlight dimmed quickly as they passed through a small reception area. The desk was shattered, splintered into pieces but by what no one could say. A picture of Bradley lay on the floor. At least, the tattered and torn remains of one lay on the floor. There were no other signs that anyone had been inside since the coup. Looking back to the radio team, Havoc gave a thumbs up. Time to begin.

“_Team 2 this is 1 Control, Team 1 has made entry. Move into the building and prepare for contact._”

Whitworth smiled from the rear of the facility, drawing the heat out of the interior of the building. The circles on her bracers were alight as she felt the rush of heat out of the building. Her eyes were still sparkling as she watched her alchemy start to chill the area ahead. Smiling, she turned her head over her left shoulder. “Remember, open fire on the first thing you see! It’s too soon for Capt. Havoc’s team to have made it this far into the facility!”

“Ma’am, you’re right in the line of fire!”

Whitworth’s sparkling eyes didn’t stop. “You’re all trained marksmen, I fully expect you to be able to know not to fire on me as I perform my part of the operation!” Looking forward again, Whitworth realized something was shining in the shadows ahead. That was when she finally looked around and realized something about the back entrance; the floor was covered in dried blood. Sparkles out of her eyes, she was hit by a high-pitched howling slamming into her ears. Only it wasn’t a normal canine howl like she was used to; it was garbled, warped, like it was trying to form words but couldn’t. Suddenly focused, Whitworth focused her reactions on one of the sets of eyes and took away all the heat she could. There was a distorted yelp, followed by a thud as she turned her attention to another set of eyes and shouted, “Open fire!”


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

Havoc moved quietly ahead of the group through the corridor leading into the facility, shotgun up. The light from the flashlight clipped to his blouse only pierced through the darkness about ten feet, everything beyond was darkness. The teams were silent, the only noises their boots on the concrete as they moved forward. There was some kind marking on the wall, but something had destroyed any indication of where it led. Part of his mind was dredging up the last time he was moving through a secret alchemic research lab, but the professional part of his mind was body-slamming those memories. Right now there was a job to do, and a team to get in and out alive.

Alice was more focused on trying to keep her eyes peeled, the muzzle of her SMG pointed down at the floor as she followed Havoc’s team on the opposite wall. The flashlights they all wore shifted and swayed too much for her to see anything useful up ahead, they only served as a clue to their possible foes that they were coming.

Havoc held up a hand; then edged forward even more slowly and quietly than Alice thought possible. His flashlight beam came up against a wall, splitting two ways. Pointing to Alice and Al, he motioned to the right. Pointing at Breda, he pointed to himself and to the left. Alice didn’t understand for a second until she realized that Havoc was leading the way to the left. Realizing that he was signaling, she poked her head and flashlight around the corner and started moving down the right corridor.

At the rear of the line, Al kept his eyes ahead and focused. Oreldo and Martis were the only ones carrying their weapons like the Amestrians; Alice held her SMG like it was an afterthought, and in Randel’s hands even the shotgun looked like a toy he could break without thinking about it. Taking a breath, he tried to focus on what was around him. The corridor was silent, and there were no smells that struck him as trouble. The flashlight beams traced around the corridors, and Al noticed that there were dark red marks and streaks in the path of the beams as they went. Something was dragging its food through the corridors, and they were going right into the teeth of whatever was waiting. “Lt. Malvin, maybe we should hold for a second?”

Alice shook her head, ignoring the fact that her men were noticing the blood as well. “Capt. Havoc ordered us to clear this building and search for evidence. Until we’re finished, we press on.”

Al held back a groan. “_Darn it Havoc, you pressed too hard._”

* * *

Havoc realized that the hall was too clean. If there were as many creatures living in this place as he suspected, why wasn’t there any sign of the horde of creatures waiting for them. The emptiness was starting to trouble him; it was like the entire facility was designed to be a blank. Whoever was here must have known that they would be here working on things that the nation could never know. He figured he’d been going down the corridor from the fork for about a half-hour, maybe nearly forty-five minutes. There was only the faded line on the wall leading them toward some eventual result.

The flashlight beams caught a dull reflection and he held up a hand. Everyone slowly froze, and Havoc carefully approached what his light revealed to be a door. It was locked by a massive set of gears, a central wheel sitting in the center. It wasn’t a massive door, it was about the size for any average human being that would go through it. Pointing to Breda, Falman, and Fuery he motioned for them to watch the other end of the corridor then motioned for May to follow him up to the door. Pausing, he put his ear to the metal and tried to listen for anything on the other side. After thirty seconds, nothing. Sighing, he pulled away and tried to work the wheel on the front of the door. It moved, barely; the rust had nearly shut the thing tight. Nodding to May, he backed up and let her work. The young alkahest quickly drew her circles and transmuted the rust away from the gears. Back at the door, Havoc gripped the wheel again and turned. This time the door turned, though with a loud, distressing groan that he wished didn’t have to echo through the empty corridor.

Pushing the door back, Havoc raised his shotgun and edged forward. His light swept across an office, desks and file cabinets covered in dust as his light crossed the room. Making sure that it was at least apparently clear for now, Havoc turned to the door and motioned for the team to come inside and whispered, “Alright, check for anything useful. We’re not looking for requisitions for office supplies, find anything that could clue us in on what they were doing.” The five spread through the office space, checking over the desks and pulling open any drawers they could find. Soon the room was obscured by a cloud of dust, creating a haze wherever Havoc turned. Unfortunately nearly all the office had been was apparently for military minutia; every document was either a requisition form for supplies or a record that there had been a requisition for supplies. Personnel lists without names, logs on what days there had been experiments. Useful after the fact, but not right now to tell him what they were truly up against.

“Hey, Havoc.” Turning, he saw Breda motioning to an open wooden door at the far end of the room. “There’s a staircase up this way.”

Havoc nodded. “Alright, take point. May, behind him. Let’s move.”

* * *

Alice faltered, her team slamming into her as she realized there was an open door ahead. Taking a breath, she moved forward to the door with her SMG still pointed down at the ground. The red stains on the walls were larger by now, and the floor just before the door was dark with what she had to accept was dried blood. Swallowing the unease welling up inside her, she forced her legs to carry her through the door into what her light revealed was a dormitory. Bunk-beds lay scattered about in piles, the torn remains of mattresses and blankets tossed around in shredded heaps. There were lockers thrown everywhere, heavy metal banks of them that only Randel could easily toss.

Al moved forward. “Lt. Malvin, we should stop here and send someone back to tell Capt. Havoc what we found.”

Alice shook her head. “We need to scout this room out first, there may be clues for what’s caused the attacks. All of you, spread out and don’t leave anything untouched.”

It didn’t take long for Randel to look up from pulling apart a strangely compressed pile of rags to see another doorway into a tiled room. “Lieutenant, in here.”

Alice hurried over and ran her own flashlight around inside, only half-holding her SMG as she stared through the door. It was a shower, but only inasmuch as it had faucets and pipes and drains along with the tiles. There were more bloodstains, some on the walls and some trailing into the drains. That was second to the realization that now they could finally hear something. It was a distant yelping, a high-pitched howl reverberating through the tile walls. Alice held her weapon up now, but she kept it at waist-height compared to Oreldo and Martis keeping theirs on their shoulders and ready to bring up in a second. She edged toward a black doorway at the end of the room, suddenly realizing that she was sweating despite how much cooler it was inside the building. Pausing at the door, she held out her flashlight and gasped.

The room was filled with cages, strong steel boxes that were filled with remains. Poor, pathetic animals that had starved before anyone could release them. They were stacked four, even five high around the edges of the room, the rest laid out in neat rows through the empty space. Bones and leathery skin were the only sign they’d been there at all. “The conspiracy must’ve abandoned them,” Al said aloud. “It must’ve been leave them behind or take too much time trying to clean everything up. This might be good for what we need.”

Oreldo laughed for a second, poking at a pile of remains with the barrel of his shotgun. “It is?”

Al nodded, running a hand along the top of one of the cages. “They needed to get out, they might’ve left behind something that we could use. The actual alchemic lab must be further on, and any offices where they’d keep records should also be nearby. We’ll be able to study what they were doing and maybe prepare for anything else we find.”

Alice nodded, eyes locked on a trail of blood leading to the far end of the room. “A-Alright, then let’s keep moving.”

Al held back, and looked over to Randel. The giant corporal was obviously uneasy at the idea of moving on, and the way he stared at Alice he knew that moving forward would probably hurt her instead of do any good. “Lt. Malvin,” he said, moving over. “Lt. Malvin, let’s stop here and get word to Havoc before we keep moving.”

“We can’t,” Alice said, trying to keep her face set despite the fact that she was officially beyond nervous and edging into terrified. “We need to keep moving and seize the initiative.”

“But you hear those noises,” Al said. "Whatever’s back there isn’t going to be what you think you can deal with. You need to send someone back and tell Havoc we’ve found where they are.”

Alice stepped forward. “No, I can handle this.”

Al swore under his breath. “Dammit Havoc.”

Martis stepped forward. “Mr. Elric is right lieutenant, we should go rushing in like this. I can go back and tell Capt. Havoc that we found this and be back as soon as I can-”

“We’re moving forward Martis,” Alice said firmly. “There is nothing that will hold us back.”

Al tried to get in front of Alice. “You can’t, this isn’t going to be what you think it is.”

Alice pushed past and strode into the next room. “I will Al, and-”

She froze, staring into the beam of her flashlight. There were more cages, only these ones were larger, and the skeletons less complete. Dark bloodstains smeared the floor and bottoms of the cages, and Alice realized that there were so many things wrong about them. The bones were longer than any animal she knew of, the skulls misshapen and didn’t look human, but not animal either. Those were the more that she could make sense of though. Some looked like a malformed pile of bones that were half-made to look like they were human. One had a human body, but there was a second skull and neck jutting out to the right. Another had three legs, and none of them were human; they were too short and bent the wrong way. She turned to Randel, but it didn’t help her calm down. She knew he was probably used to seeing sights like this. Instead, his eyes were as wide as hers as he stared at the remains.

Al was the only one staring at the bodies without fear or shock. “I thought so,” he whispered, kneeling down at one of the piles of bones. “Human-animal chimera. They must’ve been taking patients from the asylum and combining them with some kind of canines.”

Oreldo forgot he was armed, his finger tightening on the trigger as he nearly stepped on a piece of bone laying outside one of the cages. “Why? Why the hell would they do that?”

Al fought back against the memories of the Tucker household. “Because they could.”

There was a clang close to the shower behind them. Everyone’s flashlights jerked up at the door to see a pair of blue eyes glaring at them in the middle of the door, and Alice shuddered at the sight. It was bipedal, tall, covered in patchy gray-brown fur interspersed with pale skin. The legs were long, but where one was canid the other was human putting the beast off balance. The arms ended in claws, but instead of looking muscular appeared twisted like the muscle had instead been wrapped around the bone. The snout looked like it had tried to look canid, only the left side had gone out that far. The right half looked like it had been shoved in. The ears were pointed, shifting to follow the noise as a misshapen set of fangs and teeth slavered, sending drool to the floor in great dripping piles. The beast tried to stand taller, but a malformed spine kept it hunched over. The worst part, Alice could clearly see the eyes.

The blue, human eyes.

Al clapped his hands and slammed them into one of the cages. The bars turned into chains, and tossing one end to Randel he kept his eyes on the beast. “He doesn’t know any better, we need to try and take him alive.”

Oreldo had his weapon up. “Alive, are you nuts?!”

“I have friends who were turned into chimera, if there’s a way to save him we’ll be murderers!”

Oreldo shook his head. “You’re lying, that thing isn’t human!”

Al started moving forward. “Don’t shoot it!”

Alice was frozen. The beast slavered and snarled, but the eyes locked on her were those of a human being. Her mind was stuck on a loop, repeating Al’s words. “_They were a patient,_” she thought, not realizing she was trembling. “_Their own government did this to them. They knew he was human…_” Her eyes drifted over to Randel as her knees started to quake. “They_ did this to him!_”

Martis didn’t hesitate. Even in Section I, even as a clerk, instinct took over. Before Randel could move any further he had his SMG up and chattering. The beast tried to charge but the rounds tore through it. The eyes, those human eyes, they went wide with surprise before it fell in a bloody heap on the floor.

Al gritted his teeth, but slowly lowered the chain. He turned to Martis to say something, but it was his turn to freeze. There were suddenly more noises around them now. Grabbing his flashlight, Al ran it around the walls to see that not only were some of the cages open, but they were inhabited. He saw human heads with coyote snouts; misshapen female chests with several malformed teats; half-hands, half-paws; one was too small to be a full-grown human victim. The analytical part of Al guessed at least it had been a teenager before being transmuted. “We need to move,” Al said. “We need to fall back, we need to go!” Clapping his hands again, he turned one of the cages to dust and sent it billowing out at the chimeras as Section III started running deeper into the facility, Randel dragging Alice away.

* * *

Whitworth held a hand out in front as she held the other behind; the path of the heat flowing from her target to the space behind her. As the rifles cracked and SMGs chattered behind her, she turned her attention to another set of eyes. Comprehension, destruction, reconstruction. For her, sap the target of heat, pull that heat away, send it somewhere else. Her circles glowed with each transmutation, her eyes still alight with the idea of her heroics being worth something.

The sergeant, she couldn’t remember his name, called up. “Ma’am, we should pull back, the men are getting tired!”

“They can last a little longer sergeant,” Whitworth barked. “Our orders are to provide a third team!” She couldn’t see the sergeant staring worriedly at the platoon, sweating like mad as a constant stream of warm air kept sweeping over them. Biting back something that would get him put on KP for a year if he said it to the lieutenant, he raised his SMG and found another target. It had been going like this for nearly an hour, the corridor ahead lighting up with flashing eyes before they were either dropped by Whitworth or cut down by gunfire. By now most of the men were running dangerously low on ammo, even after three of them had been sent back for more. After the third man the platoons closest said they weren’t handing over any more.

Another pair of eyes disappeared, but Whitworth didn’t see anything new spring up. Glaring into the darkness, she suddenly smiled. “Sergeant, we’re moving into the building.”

The sergeant paused. “Ma’am, that wasn’t anywhere in our orders.”

“No, but if we take the initiative we might be able to draw however many are left out and away from the other teams.” Stepping forward, Whitworth kept her arms up as she moved. “Move up sergeant, into the facility!”

The sergeant turned to see the nervous faces of his platoon, but it was still a lawful order from an officer. Wiping off his face he barked, “You heard the lieutenant, forward by twos, move!”

* * *

Havoc carefully pressed the door at the next landing open and grinned. His light swept across a lab, filled with research stations and beakers and glass tubes over cold burners. There was a lingering smell, but whatever it had been was long gone. “Alright, spread out and check everything. Look for paperwork, diagrams, anything alchemic we can use.”

The five scattered through the lab, their lights reflecting off the dusty glass and remnants of solutions and mixtures left behind. They picked up every scrap of paper there was, from small office notes to half-torn reams of alchemic notes. Havoc idly read them over, knowing he probably wouldn’t understand any of it. With every alchemist writing their notes in codes he figured he’d be lucky to guess half of what was on a stapled report he picked up. “‘_Report Experimental Batch 28-J’. Well, off to a dry start there. Description of the subjects, number of experiments, number of scientists…_” There were notes on how to properly draw the circles, where to place the human subjects in relation to the coyotes, and information on the proper care for the chimera immediately after. Havoc looked up in surprise and said, “Something’s wrong, I can actually read this.”

Breda looked up, ready to make a joke, but froze when he paused to go over what Havoc meant. “Wait, seriously?”

Havoc read from the report. “Due to the difference in mass we believe using two coyotes per human is sufficient to overcome the Law of Conservation of Mass.” Dropping the papers on a desk, he stared at the sheaf like it was a time bomb about to hit zero. “Even I know what that means.”

Breda shuddered. “They were writing their notes in plain language, jeez this means anyone who can read could recreate the experiments they were doing here.” May poked her head up, hurrying over and grabbing the papers. Quickly reading them over, her eyes went from narrowed to wide to enraged. “What is it kid, they don’t do the same thing in Xing?”

“Masters in Xing usually take on maybe ten students at maximum,” May whispered as she kept going through the notes. “Notes are coded as well, only to make sure that the younger students don’t get in over their heads. With this? With this, as long as an alchemist makes sure to follow the proper steps they’d be able to recreate every part of this.”

Havoc checked the papers again, and lifted his shotgun. “May, what would you guess the amount of successes for these experiments around?”

May thought for a moment as she reread the notes. “If this is 28-J, by that point at least fifty percent.”

Everyone took a second, then started running for Al and Alice.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

* * *

Whitworth smiled, dropping beast after beast as she moved through the wide corridor. Even with the sweat dripping from her brow, she couldn’t help but smile as she and her platoon kept moving. The creatures were either falling from gunfire or her own abilities, and she didn’t bother hiding her glee anymore. She was proving her worth as an officer, leading her platoon straight into the depths of an illegal facility, showing herself as one of the best leaders in the Amestrian military. She didn’t stop to process the sights of the creatures she was dropping, the fact that they were horrifying amalgams of men and beasts. To her, they were a foe and they were to be eliminated.

“I’m out!” She’d heard that four or five times by now, but to Whitworth it was just a sign that her men were accurate and effective with each round. Proof that she was a leader among leaders even! Sapping another creature of heat and sending it into immediate hypothermic shock, she turned back without seeing. “Keep pushing forward, we’re driving straight into them!” She didn’t really see the exhaustion on the faces of her platoon, how badly they were sweating and how several of them had no ammunition for their weapons.

The sergeant shouted, “Lieutenant, we need to stop!”

Whitworth turned back and sapped another beast. “No we don’t sergeant, we’re making excellent progress!”

The sergeant twitched. “Your platoon is exhausted and almost out of ammunition, we need to stop!”

“The platoon is fine,” Whitworth barked, rushing forward through a wide doorway large enough for a truck to pass through. The only light came from the flashlights clipped to their uniforms, but she saw an enemy ahead and knew it couldn’t escape. Sprinting forward, Whitworth found herself in a room with a glass ceiling, sunlight shining down atop her as she ran to the center of the room. It was a massive space, with markings on the floor that she didn’t care enough about to notice. What was important was the target in front of her. The beast turned back at her from the edge of the sunlight, and Whitworth felt herself stumble mentally now that she finally got a good look at one of the still-living beasts. It stood hunched over; the left side had a human arm and coyote leg jutting out from the socket, a malformed ear half-hanging out from the right side of the head. Taking a quick breath Whitworth leveled her bracer at the beast and was ready to sap it when it let out a howl.

Suddenly the space to the sides was filled with howls. Spinning around, she saw dozens and dozens of eyes suddenly reflecting in the light, cutting off her platoon from the way out. As she scanned the room, she realized the marking on the floor was a circle. “_Oh my God,_” she thought. “_This is where they were made!_”

The sergeant tried to stand in front of the platoon as best he could. “Dammit we’re cut off! Lieutenant, you need to clear a path out of here!”

Whitworth turned back and tried, but before she could her vision went dark from the impact of a malformed fist on the back of her head, and her ears were overwhelmed by the sound of gunfire and screaming.

* * *

Al kept running down the corridor, clapping and making new obstacles every few feet as he went. The beasts were fast, but fast didn’t count for anything if you couldn’t use it on the straightaway. Spikes jutted out of the walls, the floor turned into jagged trenches and liquefied sand, and twice he’d tried to throw them off by bringing down bits of the ceiling. It wasn’t enough, he could still her them just behind him. Oreldo and Martis took turns, kneeling and firing as the other kept running. Randel was ahead, half-guiding, half-dragging Alice away from the fighting. They ran through labs with human-sized glass tubes that were broken open, morgues with blood-stained slabs in long rows, but Al could only see them for a second or two before running on. The howls and screams were echoing from everywhere now, and Al didn’t want to take even a second to try and focus on from where for fear that he’d wind up like the cattle outside.

Martis cursed as he swapped magazines, fumbling with the still-unfamiliar reality of a weapon that could hold more than five rounds. “I’m almost out, we need to think of something else!”

Oreldo worked the lever on hit shotgun after another volley. “Kid, can’t you just make a wall too high for them to get over?”

“Then we’d be trapped,” Al shouted. “We need to find the rear entrance, that way Lt. Whitworth and her platoon can help!”

Oreldo let out a harsh laugh. “That tin soldier couldn’t help herself!”

Randel didn’t bother taking part in the life-and-death banter, he was too busy dragging Alice on. Her SMG was gone, she’d dropped it back about where they’d passed the morgue. “Lieutenant, can you run?” Alice moved her legs like she was trying, but to Randel it felt like she was only half finding her footing. He was still doing the most of the running, even if he could fire the shotgun one-handed without trouble working the lever would’ve been impossible one-handed while still making sure Alice was moving.

Al created another mass of spikes, but he could hear the chimeras howling as they scrambled through. “_What are we going to do, we can’t run forever. Think Al, think! There’s got to be a way we can stop these things from killing us without killing them!_”

Oreldo stumbled for a second, Martis grabbing him and pulling him up and away from a swiping set of claws. “Alphonse, you need to start hurting them!”

“I have been,” Al shouted back, technically not lying. The obstacles he’d put up would hurt the chimeras. Killing them was something he couldn’t bear to do unless there was no other choice, and in his mind there was still a choice.

They heard it, more howling up ahead. Martis cursed as his weapon clicked empty. “Dammit, what now!”

Al gritted his teeth and ran into the next room, sealing the doorway as soon as everyone was through. The howls on the other side kept sounding, but for now they were safe in what looked like another morgue. Turning to the other door, Al waited for the oncoming horde as Randel pointed his shotgun at the door. They waited three minutes before they realized that there was no onrushing horde of chimeras coming at them.

“What’s going on,” Martis whispered. “Why aren’t they coming after us?”

“The facility might be laid out in a loop,” Al said. “May and the others might be in the same situation.”

Oreldo nodded. “Okay, fair idea. One thing, why aren’t we hearing their weapons?”

Al froze up for a split second, then launched himself forward through to the howls and yips. He didn’t pay attention to the last three rooms he ran through or to the calls by Oreldo and Martis, he just knew that his friends might be in danger. Charging through the last door, he saw sunlight beaming down from above and saw that May and the others weren’t the ones in danger.

A sergeant lay dead on the ground, the chimera ripping him apart to get at the organs and meat inside. Two more soldiers were in pieces several feet away, the rest were wounded and being held by several chimera. Whitworth was held unconscious in the grip of a larger beast with a more human face, the chimera slamming her hands down on what Al realized was a massive transmutation circle. As he filed that away for later, he clapped his hands and sent a shockwave through the floor. The room buckled and warped, tossing the chimera and surviving soldiers everywhere. With another clap, he started liquefying the concrete where he could to trap the chimeras. Yelping and shouting, the chimeras tried to charge Al. That was when Randel’s shotgun started booming, catching some of the creatures but not killing them. Oreldo’s voice called out, “Gimme that big guy!” Suddenly the booms were more accurate, taking the chimera in their misshapen heads and chests and downing them. Al kept the floor ahead as quicksand, the monsters struggling to crawl forward as the ones holding the soldiers desperately tried to keep a grasp on their victims.

Alice watched the fight passively, not moving as she took in the sights of Oreldo moving from chimera to chimera while Martis found a discarded rifle and started firing. She saw one of the Amestrian soldiers grab a knife from their belt and stab the chimera holding them in the face over and over, their face and uniform stained with blood as they kept afloat in the shifting floor. Whitworth just lay half-submerged in the floor, face stained as the chimera that had been holding her kept clawing at the floor and howling. It was like it was trying to keep the floor together, but why Alice couldn’t comprehend.

“I’m going to try and trap them in the floor,” Al shouted. “Randel, can you get the other soldiers out?”

Randel nodded, easily wadding into the floor and pushing the chimera away from him as he plucked soldiers out and set them on the way to Al. The monsters that were still on solid concrete were taken care of by Martis and Oreldo, and as Randel pulled Whitworth back to Al as the last survivor Al slammed his palms down and encased the chimeras in concrete. The howling and yapping echoed through the room, but he stood in front of Oreldo as he started to walk forward. “No. They aren’t a threat anymore.”

* * *

Back at the entrance to the bunk room, Havoc loaded another six shells into his shotgun as Falman and Martis fired into the mass of creatures through the wall May had made with firing ports for them to use. “Once they’re thinned we’ll move forward. May, odds are Al left some obstacles so make sure you clear them as we move.” May nodded, looking on at the fight dispassionately. Havoc figured she agreed that even if they were the victims of a terrible crime, it was better to put them out of the misery they’d been forced through than to let them linger.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

* * *

Al couldn’t bear to watch as the engineers finished placing their charges and readied to blow the facility. Partly because he was busy reading over the information they’d found in the actual labs, partly because Havoc had ordered him to get out of the building and not save the chimeras. As he left the transmutation circle room, he realized that the gunfire and cut-off howling he heard would haunt him for the rest of his life. Whitworth sat against one of the trucks, eyes distant and watering as the platoon stood apart from her. She kept staring at the three covered bodies of the sergeant and two of her men, but Al hadn’t had the time or inclination to ask what had happened. All he did notice was Havoc glaring at her with sad eyes as they came out.

“We’re set,” one of the engineers said. “You’re sure you’re good to blow this sir?”

Havoc nodded, lighting up a fresh cigarette. “Bring it down.”

Al would have begged to have at least some time to try and study what he’d found, but with the notes as they were that wasn’t necessary. The notes even had the designs of the circle that was on the floor he’d liquefied, meaning he wouldn’t need to try and reconstruct it.

Fuery came over with ha canteen. “Thanks,” Al said, reaching out for it like it was an afterthought. “Was this all you found?”

“As much as we could,” Fuery said, taking a drink out of his own water. “A lot of the notes had gotten scattered, but Havoc said he doesn’t want to risk anyone who shouldn’t see them be the ones to try and put them back together. That’s the only complete copy we found.”

“That’s what scares me,” Al said, setting the papers down as he took a drink. “Do you realize what this means? Anyone that was part of this conspiracy, if they were an alchemist, they could recreate any transmutation or alchemic experiment with these notes if they have them.”

Fuery nodded. “We haven’t heard anything though, maybe they gave up?”

Al shook his head. “Remember how Whitworth greeted us at the station? This had been going on for months, and she thought us being here was to help solve it.”

Fuery looked up at the sky and sighed. “Meaning either the reports were being ignored, or they were being buried before they could ever get to East City.”

Al looked up. “East City?”

Fuery nodded. “Well yeah. Situations like this would have the matter handled at the regional level if the local garrison isn’t up to it. Something like this should…” Fuery’s eyes widened. “She knew we were from Central.” Al nodded. “That means that they were routing this to Central thru East City.”

The engineers started shouting. “Clear the blast area! Clear the blast area! Fire in the hole! Fire in the hole! Fire in the hole!” Sure the area was clear, the soldier at the plunger slammed it down and turned away.

The facility exploded, small pieces of concrete and dirt flying against the trucks everyone had hidden behind. A second after the blast they got hit by the shockwave, Al’s body shuddering when it struck through him. He thought he heard Whitworth whimper a little. A half-second after the blast there was a rumbling noise, and poking his head out he saw the facility starting to collapse in on itself. The Amestrian flag fluttered one last time before the facility collapsed, without the support beams the entire structure was too heavy for its own good. Walls designed to take the shelling of entire Drachman artillery regiments scattered across the scrub, taking with them another horrifying truth.

“That should do it,” Havoc said, enjoying his cigarette. “Everyone load up, we’re gonna get this detail back to the garrison and take care of the burial arrangements for the three we lost.” Al noticed Whitworth turn her face away. “Where’s Malvin?”

Fuery nodded to a small rock where Alice sat. Shaking his head, Havoc went over to see Alice curled up on herself. She was shuddering, Havoc figured she was trying to hold herself together. “You okay lieutenant?”

Alice took a moment to compose herself and stand at attention before Havoc. “I’m sorry sir, I failed to perform my duty-”

Havoc held up a hand. “Sit back down, you need a second. Hell, I’ll join you.” Alice went back to her rock, looking at Havoc sitting on the dust confused. “Everyone’s accounted for.” Alice nodded. “Hey, you did better than I expected.”

Alice perked up. “I…I did?”

“Truth be told, I expected you to wind up like Whitworth nearly did,” Havoc said, jerking a dismissive thumb behind his back. “All you need is command experience.”

Alice’s fist tightened. “I have command experience sir,” she said. “I’ve led Section III on several missions already, I know how to be an officer.”

Havoc shook his head. “You know what they taught you about being an officer. You’re what, three years into your tour right?” Alice nodded. “And your unit isn’t exactly the one they saddle with things they thought were important, at least until you met SG-1.” Alice was looking confused now. “You’re not following are you.”

Alice nodded, staring back at the ground. “Gen. Hammond was right to chastise me about not knowing about not knowing about Randel living on the streets, and when you mentioned what you did about not knowing my men’s birthdays or hobbies off the top of my head I thought you were telling me that I was a failure as an officer. The only way I thought I could correct that was accomplishing the mission.”

Havoc shook his head. “Malvin, your men are your mission. I don’t know much about the Empire, but from the sounds of it they have a lopsided view of what officers are supposed to do. Now Mustang, he drilled it into us that above all our mission is our men.”

“How’d he do that?”

Havoc shrugged. “He was the example we had.” Turning back at the sound of the trucks revving, Havoc patted Alice on the back. “Check your team, see how they’re doing, then load up. This one’s gonna be a pain to write up.”

Alice took a second before she stood, taking a breath as she adjusted her belt. She realized that this was the second time she’d lost a weapon given to her. Seeing her team waiting by the truck they’d rode up in, she saw Oreldo pouring water over the back of his head as Martis tried to clean his glasses with a dust-covered blouse. “Everyone, are you, are you alright?”

The three looked up, exhausted but still able to grin a little. “We’re fine ma’am,” Martis said, smiling as he put his glasses back on despite still being half-covered in dust. “What about you?”

Alice gave what smile she could. “I’ll…I’ll be fine Martis. I think we just need to take a few days after getting back and rest. After this we could all use it.”

Oreldo smiled, leaning back against the truck. “Sounds good to me. I’ve been meaning to take a few days for myself.”

“Then maybe you could help me sir?” Randel said. “I need some help with the cats, I think I need to take a few of them to the vet and I can’t carry them all myself.” Oreldo twitched, but even his partially-mercenary heart couldn’t say no to Randel’s smiling face.

Alice paused, then spoke. “Maybe we could all help corporal?” The three looked back up in shock, but Randel was the first to smile again.

* * *

  


Grumman read over the final report three days later, shaking his head as he set it to the side of his desk. “Troubling, very troubling. Mr. Elric, what do you think?”

“Well there are two things I noticed sir,” Al said. “The first is that they didn’t encode the notes. You know that alchemists have always had a rule about making sure their own research got encoded to make sure no one can copy it if it’s dangerous?” Grumman nodded. “If the conspiracy wasn’t encoding their research, then any amateur alchemist with even a rudimentary understanding of what they need to do can replicate what we found.”

Grumman turned to May. “Ms. Chang, does Xing have any experts in biological alchemy?”

May shook her head. “The Sage of the West taught the first alkahests that trying to combine men and animals is forbidden, every master has treated the idea as a sin against his teachings.”

“Sounds like him,” Al said with a sad smile. “Sir, there was something else. You said that you’d only just found the records of Facility 27, but when we arrived Lt. Whitworth acted like she was expecting us to be there and said that the attacks had been happening for months before we arrived.”

“I’ll have Armstrong look into that,” Grumman said, his head down. “Unfortunately it appears a possible lead slipped through our grasp. A general we believe had been involved in the conspiracy was found dead at his ranch.”

Havoc grumbled. “Great, whoever’s left is trying to cover their tracks.”

“I’m afraid it gets worse,” Grumman said, holding up a report. “Armstrong took down everything he could about the scene. He said there was no sign of a struggle, there were two plates on the table, and two glasses of whiskey. That the house was locked, and that the horses he kept looked like they hadn’t even been along for more than a day or two.”

Havoc nodded. “They still keep in contact and trust each other.”

“And apparently are smart enough to cover their tracks,” Grumman said. “After everything that’s happened, we can’t presume these two incidents being so close is just coincidence.” Grumman looked up with a stone face. “The conspiracy is still active within the military, and they know we’re aware.”

The silence stretched on until may finally rose up. “I’ll go back to my embassy, Emperor Ling should be informed of this immediately.” Grumman nodded and let the young girl leave.

“I’ll tell my brother what we found,” Al said. “If the conspiracy had the ability to make more perfect chimeras, then why were there so many in the facility that looked the way they did?”

“I’ll allow it.” Grumman turned to Havoc. “What about Lt. Malvin and her team?”

“They’re back home sir,” Havoc said, smiling as he tapped out his cigarette. “I hope it’s alright, they needed some time after what they saw.”

Grumman nodded. “So do you. Good work, I’ll allow for you all to take an extended weekend to recover. Dismissed.”

Havoc snapped to attention and followed Al out the door. Safely out in the hall, Havoc sighed. “Great, now we’ve gotta go hunting around.”

“Well at least we know what to look for now,” Al said. “I’ll call Ed and see what he has to say.”

“I’ll see about checking any reports that might’ve been buried,” Havoc said, as his lips turned up into a roguish grin. “After the weekend of course.”

Al smiled. “Big plans?”

“You bet,” Havoc said. “Finally got a date, and this time I don’t think she’s a homunculi.”

Al chuckled. “Knowing your luck, do you think it’ll work out?” Havoc groaned and facepalmed as they boarded the elevator down. “So what will happen to Lt. Whitworth?”

“Grumman put in special orders for her after what happened,” Havoc said. “With how she handled herself? The Zumcam garrison was almost over-eager to agree to what he wanted.”

Al nodded. “Where’s she going?”

Havoc shrugged. “Some dead-end base, the Amestrian Experimental Ordinance Testing Range.”

* * *

[Whitworth](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASWcIZWmXfk) felt like she was moving through a fog as she packed away the last of her personal affects from her desk. The rest was already sent ahead, her spare uniforms and civilian wear. The box was the last of her things from the garrison, and she noticed halfway through that she’d done it all by herself. No one had done more than poke their heads out around a corner to see what she was doing, and not once did anyone stop by to ask what was happening or where she was going. As she walked out, she realized there was no going away for her. No one laughing as they spoke of the time she’d spent in the garrison, no gift or plaque to take with her as a reminder of her time. Thinking back, she realized that she’d never even bothered to remember the name of the officers she’d worked with, let alone the men under her.

Walking out of the garrison and getting the requisite salutes from the men at the door, she had to flag down a farmer bringing his cart to the train station. They made some small talk, but the farmer gave up when he saw the empty expression on Whitworth’s face. She half-remembered saying thanks, buying her ticket and boarding the train to Posterim, to New Optian, to Giribaz. The days on the rails flew by, because Whitworth was busy realizing her career was over. The Experimental Ordinance Testing Range was never spoken of for good reason; anyone who went there had nothing after they got their orders.

Getting off the train at Giribaz, she saw a stocky captain with short brown hair and beady brown eyes waiting at the small station. “Lt. Whitworth?” She nodded. “Capt. Mann, welcome to Giribaz. You hungry?” Whitworth shook her head. “You sure? It’s a long drive to the base.”

Whitworth shook her head again. “I’m fine sir, I’m ready to go to the base.”

Mann shrugged. “Suit yourself. Car's out front, let’s get moving.”

Setting her personal items in the back, Whitworth settled into the passenger’s seat and only paid passing notice to the small town she was driving through. Mann didn’t say anything, though Whitworth did notice that as they drove he kept whistling various songs as he went. She was desperate for him to stop, but held herself back. Subordinates don’t speak in such a way to a superior officer.

By the time they’d gotten to the security post of the base, Whitworth was contemplating throwing herself out of the car and taking her chances in the desert. The only sign there was a base at all was a small guard shack large enough for two men, and as they pulled up said two men came out with their weapons ready.

“Afternoon sir,” one of the men said, a smiling man with a gaunt face. “This the new lieutenant?”

“Same Sherman,” Mann said, smiling as the other guard lifted the small barrier up from the road. “You both okay out here?”

The second guard, a man with a pronounced chin and flat nose, laughed. “A few more canteens wouldn’t hurt sir. And a little time out in the town on Friday?”

Whitworth was about to tell the man off for speaking to a superior in such a way when Mann laughed. “We’ll see how O’Malley behaves Fokker, then I’ll make my decision.” Waving to both men, Mann drove through as Whitworth looked back to see the two guards looking disappointed. No, not disappointed. Defeated.

The base ahead was a sprawling complex with at least a dozen buildings all low to the ground. The barracks and post exchange sat closest to the guard post, though “barracks” was a bit generous for the half-dozen three story blocks of rooms set in a square with the exchange in the center. There were stables a short distance away, and Whitworth’s heart felt a little more at ease. She could work with horses.

Farther ahead, a series of hangars laid out in two rows astride a long flat strip that Whitworth noticed was flattened and cleared of debris. Behind those, two squat offices where several soldiers walked about. The car turned toward them, until a blast sounded out of one of the hangars followed by smoke. “Shit, hang on.” The car swerved right, Whitworth watching as several soldiers ran toward the smoke to see what was happening. Parking next to the hangar, Mann jumped out. Without knowing what to do, Whitworth followed her superior like a loyal junior.

The hangar had several vehicles in it, models of tanks that Whitworth had never seen before. That was secondary, especially compared to the fact that one of them was smoking. A female sergeant with short-cut dirty blonde hair was pulling an auburn-headed woman back from the wreck as a third woman with her ash blonde hair tied in a harsh bun was busy spraying down the metal box with a fire extinguisher. “Don’t stand there you idiots, get some more extinguishers and help Cole!”

Mann pushed through a small crowd of soldiers. “Covenanter, what the hell happened?”

“Fuel lines sir,” Covenanter said, hauling the redhead up. “O’Malley here was in the driver’s seat when it caught.”

Mann shook his head, looking confused. “This wasn’t supposed to go out for another two days O’Malley, what the hell were you doing in there?”

O’Malley wiped some soot off her face to reveal pale-white skin and freckles under her dark brown eyes. “Cole sir, she said she wanted to look over the fuel system.”

“No, you said you wanted to,” Cole said, turning to glare at O’Malley with narrowed hazel eyes. “I said we should wait until the rest of the shop was here.”

O’Malley grinned. “Well, at least now we know where the problem is.” Covenanter rolled her eyes and Mann shook his head. Whitworth watched the scene trying desperately to figure out what was happening. Why wasn’t Mann giving these three women the dressing down they deserved? Covenanter had not followed her responsibilities as a non-commissioned officer to ensure proper military discipline and orders, while the two enlisted women had heavily damaged an expensive piece of military property! Someone had to answer for this!

“Status report?”

The voice was old, experienced. Turning around Whitworth snapped to attention at the sight of an older gentleman with gold shoulder boards and a single star on each shoulder. A major general. Mann shook his head and turned back to the man, not snapping to attention and not even speaking in a formal tone. “O’Malley and Cole-Derrier sir. Plus side, we finally found where the failure in the fuel line is for the Model 10.”

Whitworth watched as the officer, to her shock, walked past her to the still-smoking tank. As the various soldiers in the hangar went back to their own work the general went to the rear of the tank and opened one of the hatches. Peering around for several seconds, he nodded and went to the driver’s hatch. Pulling out a pair of goggles, he stuck his head inside and came back out fifteen seconds later with his gray hair stained with soot and smoke. “Mark down that the fuel gauges need immediate redesign, improve the internal fire suppression systems as well.” Taking off the goggles, the general turned to glare at Whitworth. “Who is this?”

“Our new alchemist sir,” Mann said. Whitworth noticed that everyone in earshot started grinning like dogs that got a new chew toy. “Lt. Claire Whitworth, the Frostbite Alchemist.”

The general stepped forward, Whitworth doing her best to remain at attention under his hard glare. Trying to keep her voice steady she said, “Lt. Clair Whitworth, reporting to the commander, sir!”

The man nodded. “Maj. Gen. Hawker. I’ve read what was sent over about you Whitworth. Including your latest action.” Whitworth’s heart sank when she heard that. “I have one philosophy. Everyone on this base has a purpose. If they fail to find one themselves, it will be found for them.” Whitworth heard the chuckles echo around her as Hawker held out his hand. “Welcome to Area 15.”

* * *

Ed read over his notes as Al wrapped up the story. “I’m thinking Al, but it’s troubling.”

Al gave a dark laugh. “Since when is anything we find not troubling?”

Ed couldn’t argue that one. “You said the chimera were holding the soldiers hostage, trying to use Whitworth to make a transmutation even when she was unconscious?”

“Right.”

“And you said that you think the asylum was being used as a holding area the facility could use for subjects, like the prison in Central.”

“Yeah, what are you thinking?”

“Well I’m not saying that the people in the asylum couldn’t be smart even if they had problems,” Ed said, tracing connections between the points he’d made. “The thing is, I'm wondering if they were trying to use Equivalent Exchange to escape.”

“Escape from being chimera?”

Ed nodded. “They knew that they were combined with the coyotes. Anyone with even a passing knowledge of alchemy also knows that Equivalent Exchange is everything. Now maybe they tried before, and realized that trying to separate themselves from the coyotes wasn’t working. So when a group of soldiers comes through?”

He could see Al’s eyes widen on the other end of the line. “They were trying to swap themselves with the soldiers, and using Whitworth to try and do it.”

“Thank God she was unconscious,” Ed said. “I don’t want to imagine what might’ve happened if she were actually able to activate the transmutation circle.”

“We’re still left with more questions though,” Al said. “If the conspiracy is still active, what are they looking for?”

Ed shuddered. “I don’t think we should dwell on that too long for now, there’s still a lot we don’t know. Where are you going?”

“Back to the SGC, we’re going to update Gen. Hammond on what we found and hopefully get some more opinions.”

Ed nodded. “Alright Al. Be safe, and try to stop by when you get the chance okay?”

“I’ll make sure to. Bye Ed.”

Hanging up, Ed stood from his desk and stretched out his arms. The notes he’d made went off in a dozen different directions, trying to take dozens of questions and link them together in a way that made sense. Part of him wished that Maes were still alive, if only because that was the only person Ed knew could take all these disparate thoughts and ideas and tie them together to make some kind of sense. Shutting off the lamp on his desk, Ed padded down the stairs to the front porch. Den came up behind him, and patting the dog on the head he went outside and took a seat on the steps up to the porch. Looking up on the star-filled skies overhead, he put the thoughts of what he heard from Al to the side for now and opened his ears. The crickets chirped around him through the grass; the wind rustled the fields; Den breathed next to him. He ran his right hand gently over Den’s fur, feeling the wind across his face as he smelled the oncoming showers overnight.

“One is All, All is One.” Watching as the stars twinkled, Ed felt his mind starting to overflow with Al’s information. “It all came from somewhere, we just need to find where it came from.”

* * *

Al didn’t notice as the shuttle down to the diner bumped along the road after the briefing. He didn’t seem to notice much of anything as they went. Everyone on the bus couldn’t help but notice his forlorn expression, and Minako realized that no one else was going to say anything. “May, is he alright?”

May nodded. “We had a long mission, lots of time near the desert. Now that we have our report in I figured we’d need a little time to relax.”

Minako nodded. “I guess so. Well Col. O’Neill said they finally put in that thing he said was missing when it opened, he’s been there half the day playing it.”

May brightened. “Playing it? You mean it’s a game?”

“It’s called a pinball machine,” Minako said, eyes sparkling. “It’s got lots of lights and sound effects and even has a cool design! I haven’t seen it yet, but when O’Neill heard it’d finally gotten installed he walked right out of his meeting.” She paused and thought for a second. “Then again, he probably would’ve done that anyway.”

May giggled, turning to Al. “What do you think Alphonse? Maybe it might help to take your mind off things?”

Al nodded, giving a small smile. “You’re right May. I’m sorry, it’s just one of those things that you can’t help but think about.”

Minako reached over and put a hand on Al’s shoulder. “Col. Mackenzie’s still at the base Al, I’m sure you can talk to him if you need to.”

“I know,” Al said. “Let’s just get to the diner, I want to see what a pizza tastes like this time.”

Jumping off the shuttle, the three hurried inside to see the place was starting the lunch rush. Cass hurried about the counter as a quartet of waitresses took orders about the booths. “Oh, hey guys! There’s three seats left on the left side, I’ll get there in a sec!”

Al led the way, seeing O’Neill and Teal’c standing near a cabinet Al guessed was the pinball machine. “Good afternoon Teal’c.”

“Good afternoon Alphonse Elric,” Teal’c said. “If you wish to have a turn at this pinball machine, you may wait some time. O’Neill is presently on his fourth game.” Teal’c glared at O’Neill a little.

[“Look](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b5aW08ivHU) if anyone’s getting the high score on this it’s me,” O’Neill said, Al listening as the table flashed and screamed. Car horns honked, a slot machine racked, and a piano seemed to play as a distorted male voice spoke above a creepy music cue. Al thought the voice sounded familiar, but above the din of the diner at lunch and something clacking on the machine he couldn’t place it. O’Neill made some grunts and groans, suddenly throwing up his hands and falling onto the glass, showing Al the rear panel of the machine. “So close! Okay, who’s next?”

Al said nothing. He couldn’t say anything. His eyes locked on the painting on the back of the machine. It was a room, a small shop with dozens of objects crowded together. There was a giant gumball machine with silver balls. On the bottom right, a saucer next to an alarm clock. A cannon sat under a table with a pyramid on which sat a single eye. All of that was secondary to a familiar face standing in a doorway filled with light. A man in a black suit, hair perfectly coifed, with an expression on his face that spoke of knowledge none other possessed.

May shook Al. “Alphonse, are you alright?”

Al held up a shaking finger. “Colonel…What’s that man’s name?”

O’Neill looked up at the design. “What, Rod Serling?” A thud. O’Neill turned around to see Al flat on his back unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Rod is revealed for those who still wondered! Remember, if you're liking the story or think I could be doing something better, let me know with a comment! We're still rolling along, so stay tuned!


End file.
